![Gaza police stop cars parking along the beach to reduce public gatherings in an attempt to tackle the coronavirus in Gaza on 11 April 2020 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/651A6305-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
The commander of the southern region of the Israeli occupation army, Major General Herzi Halevi, announced: “Preventing the coronavirus outbreak in the Gaza Strip is an Israeli security interest.”
According to the Hebrew Channel 12, Halevi reported on 17 April: “If the coronavirus is spreading in Gaza, it will be difficult to deal with the pandemic there.”
“It is in Israel’s security interests to prevent the outbreak of the virus in Gaza, because Hamas may opt for escalation against Israel in case of a virus outbreak in Gaza,” he added.
Even the coronavirus empathises with the situation of Palestinians in Gaza telling Palestinians ‘it’ll pass’ [Cartoon]
Responding to Hamas’ leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar’s statements about respirators, and preventing Israelis from breathing, Halevi threatened: “If Hamas chooses to escalate because of the coronavirus, the loss will be doubled.”
Since the COVID-19 outbreak in Palestine in March, the Gaza Strip has recorded 13 cases of the coronavirus infections, eight of which have recovered.
OPINION: Despite the Israeli blockade, Gaza is tackling Covid-19 with typical determination