24 deputies in the European Parliament have signed a petition by the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor calling on Israel to immediately allow the entry of supplies to combat the Covid-19 pandemic into the Gaza Strip, and to end the blockade imposed on the Strip for more than 14 years.
In a press release, the Geneva-based International Human Rights Monitor welcomed the signing of the petition by members of the European Parliament, including the head of the delegation for relations with Palestine in the European Parliament, Representative "Manu Pineda" and his deputy, "Margaret Oken", noting that the signatories expressed their concern about the widespread outbreak Corona pandemic in the Gaza Strip, and they called for immediate measures to be taken to bring medicines and medical and preventive supplies, such as masks and intensive care units, to the Strip.
The Euro-Med Monitor warned of the importance of the timing in which it launched the petition, as the besieged sector these days is recording record levels of infection with the Coronavirus, amid the deterioration of the health system and the depletion of a large number of medical supplies and equipment, with a deficit of more than 30%, and an occupancy rate for intensive care beds that reached 90%, It does not seem that hospitals will be able in the coming days to absorb the increasing numbers of injuries.
For his part, President of the Euro-Med Monitor Rami Abdo said, “The outbreak of the Corona pandemic, which is spreading like wildfire in refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, indicates the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip, in light of the high numbers of deaths and injuries, the international community is calling for decisive action to facilitate the entry of medical supplies, And allocating part of the Corona virus vaccines to the Gaza Strip, and ending the Israeli blockade imposed on the largest open prison in the world.
He added, "The situation in the Gaza Strip is no longer acceptable, and that the World Health Organization must ensure that Palestinians in the Gaza Strip receive decent health care. We thank members of the European Parliament for their stance calling for ending the blockade and helping the Palestinians in light of the outbreak of the Corona pandemic."
In the context of reviewing the fragile health situation in the Gaza Strip, the petition stated that a number of patients in the Gaza Strip lost their lives while waiting for the lengthy procedures to obtain transit permits to Israel and Egypt to seek treatment abroad, and that many health facilities were destroyed during the repeated Israeli attacks on the Strip. , Which requires immediate international intervention to save the Palestinians.
Through the petition, the Euro-Med Monitor called on the European Union to send immediate medical aid to the Gaza Strip through the World Health Organization, and to work with the major powers and the United Nations to ensure that Gaza, which a United Nations report described as uninhabitable, has what meets its need for Covid vaccines - 19.
The members of the European Parliament, who signed the petition, called on all parties to put aside political calculations and focus on saving civilians from the ordeal of the Coronavirus, and urged Israel to allow medical aid to enter and end the blockade of the Gaza Strip.
