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UAE-funded Covid hospital opens in Gaza

According to Jawad al-Tibi, director of the supervision committee to build the hospital, the Emirati field hospital comprises three Oxygen generation stations, electric generators, and medical equipment…reports Asian Lite News

A new field hospital funded by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) treating coronavirus patients was inaugurated in the Gaza Strip, according to health officials.

Yousef Abu al-Reesh, the undersecretary of the Hamas-controlled health authority in Gaza, told reporters that the hospital was named after Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, reports Xinhua news agency.

He added that the field hospital, built on eight dunums (0.8 hectares) at the European Hospital in Khan Younis city includes 216 beds, 56 of which are designated for critical and severe cases.

The opening of the hospital came as officials warned that there are obstacles facing the health ministry in Gaza to combat the rapid spread of the Omicron variant.

“Opening the hospital shows part of the ongoing UAE support,” Abu al-Reesh said, adding that the UAE had previously donated an oxygen station, ambulances, vaccines, and medicines to Gaza.

According to Jawad al-Tibi, director of the supervision committee to build the hospital, the Emirati field hospital comprises three Oxygen generation stations, electric generators, and medical equipment.

The Palestinian Health Ministry reported 13 fatalities and 1,871 new Covid-19 cases in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the last 24 hours, adding that 5,979 recoveries were recorded.

In January, the Gaza Strip has received a medical supplies convoy provided by the UAE, containing one million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine to fight COVID-19.

The convoy arrived in the Gaza Strip through the Rafah Border Crossing, and was the largest medical support of its kind provided by the UAE to Gaza since the outbreak of the pandemic.

These vaccines were distributed immediately to vaccination centres to encourage people to get vaccinated as the Gaza Strip enters its fourth wave of the pandemic.

Ghazi Hamad, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Social Development, thanked the UAE for its significant assistance, which comes at a critical time when the Gaza Strip is exposed to its fourth wave, to enhance the health sector’s countermeasures of the pandemic.

In a press conference held at the Rafah Border Crossing after the shipment arrival, Hamad said, “The medical supplies shipment is large and appreciated from our brothers in the UAE.”

He also thanked the Emirati leadership for the generous donation of medical equipment and the establishment of the UAE Hospital.

Former Palestinian Health Minister, Jawad al-Tibi, said, “The health sector is one of the time-consuming sectors, and we are facing a global pandemic that requires unremitting efforts.”

He said, “The UAE sends aid after aid in order to support our steadfastness and address difficulties and disease in the Gaza Strip,” adding that, “This batch of UAE assistance came at the appropriate time to support the health sector and vaccinate students.”

ALSO READ-Dubai to begin trial of driverless taxis

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Israeli army to build laser-based shield against missiles

Israel will start using a laser-based system to intercept missiles within a year, Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett announced on Tuesday…reports Asian Lite News

“Within about a year, the IDF (Israel Defense Force) will bring into action a laser-based interception system, first experimentally, and later operationally,” Bennett told the annual conference of the Institute for National Security Studies, an Israeli security think tank.

The system will be deployed first in southern Israel, where communities have been under recurring rocket fire launched by Gaza Strip’s ruler Hamas and other Gaza-based militant groups, Xinhua news agency reported.

The system will later be installed in other parts of the country, the prime minister added.

“This will allow us, in the medium to long term, to cover Israel in a wall of lasers defending us from missiles, rockets, drones and other threats,” Bennett said.

ALSO READ: Naftali hosts trilateral meeting with Greek, Cypriot leaders

“It will effectively take away the strongest card the enemy has been against us,” he added.

The laser system would be an addition to Israel’s multi-layered defense doctrine, which is composed of four operational layers: the short- to medium-range anti-rocket Iron Dome system, the medium-to-long-range David’s Sling aerial defense system, and the long-range anti-missile Arrow system.

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UNRWA helps repair houses in Gaza

UNRWA helps repair houses in Gaza

The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Monday announced that it has started to disburse cash aid for repairing houses in the Gaza Strip destroyed during the May 2021 Israeli-Palestinian conflict…reports Asian Lite News

In a statement, the UN agency said $1.9 million have been allocated to repair 602 partially damaged houses and to support 555 families in the region through transitional shelter cash assistance from January to April this year, reports Xinhua news agency.

In addition, UNRWA said that its teams have contacted around 700 new families to sign up for their repair entitlement of up to #$1.5 million that will be disbursed through banks during next week.

ALSO READ: Sisi urges donor states to support UNRWA

In May 2021, Egypt brokered a ceasefire that ended 11 days of clashes between Israel and militant groups led by the Hamas in the Gaza Strip, during which around 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.

Israeli fighter jets bombed dozens of buildings, completely destroying 1,650 houses and causing severe and moderate damage to 60,000 housing units in the Gaza Strip.

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Arab News News Qatar

Qatar agrees to supply natural gas to Gaza’s only power plant

Qatar agrees to supply natural gas to Gaza's only power plant

Qatar signed an agreement to guarantee the supply of natural gas for operating the only power plant in the Gaza Strip, Doha’s Ambassador to Palestine Mohammed al-Emadi told reporters here…reports Asian Lite News

Al-Emadi said that he signed the agreement with the Gaza Electricity Generation Company and the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company, reports Xinhua news agency.

Also head of the Qatari Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza, the envoy said: “The agreement includes establishing an escrow account to cover the costs of supplying gas and generating electricity through the only power plant in Gaza.”

Under the agreement, the committee will be the primary owner of this account and will organise and manage the payments, he said.

The committee will finance the construction of the gas pipeline from the supplier company in Israel to the Gaza border.

ALSO READ: Blinken discusses Afghanistan with Qatari counterpart

In February last year, a joint agreement was reached among Qatar, the UN, and the European Union on a project to install a supply system from Israel to the only power plant in the Gaza Strip after years of negotiations.

The Gaza Strip, home to more than 2 million Palestinians, needs 500 megawatts of electricity per day.

But currently only 210 megawatts are available, including 120 supplied from Israel, and the rest is produced by the only power plant in Gaza.

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Gaza population increases amid high poverty, unemployment

The coastal enclave of Gaza has witnessed a huge hike in population, which might be a bane rather than a boon for the overcrowded and besieged area, according to officials and analysts…reports Asian Lite News

“As of the end of 2021, the population has reached 2,313,747,” the Hamas-run General Administration of Civil Status at the Ministry of Interior said in a statement.

Some observers said the situation is alarming as residents of the coastal Strip are facing dire economic conditions that are expected to deteriorate if the population continues to grow.

Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian Non-governmental Network in Gaza, told Xinhua news agency that the Gaza Strip is living its “worst humanitarian crisis” as a result of the 15-year long Israeli siege and the internal Palestinian division.

“The large shortfall in international financing has also greatly affected the reality,” al-Shawa said.

“Since the start of the new year, the situation is becoming more difficult and does not spell any good for an immediate improvement in light of figures indicating high rates of unemployment, poverty, and deteriorating economic conditions,” he added.

Hamed Gad, a Gaza-based economist, told Xinhua that the Strip needs to create more than 60,000 jobs as thousands joined the unemployed annually.

He said the ongoing Israeli blockade on the Strip has left numerous “scars” on the lives of the residents, who hope that the situation would change for the better.

ALSO READ: Hamas Slams Israel Security Hurdles in Gaza border

“Unfortunately, the young generation is the most affected group, as the unemployment rate among them is about 70 per cent,” he said, calling on the government to take measures to support those in need.

Maher al-Taba’a, director of the Chamber of Commerce in Gaza, told Xinhua that the Israeli military actions on the Strip “deepened the economic crisis as a result of the massive destruction they left in the infrastructure and various sectors”.

Al-Taba’a cited that the recent round of tensions cost the Strip $500,000,000 in losses, at a time when the reconstruction process has not yet begun.

The business leader stressed that this coincided with an unprecedented trade stagnation due to the continuation of the blockade and the restrictions on import and export, which led to a slump in imports for 2021 compared to previous years.

This, in turn, has caused other social problems, such as more beggary in public places, the increase in divorce cases, the financial failure of merchants and businessmen, and bankruptcy, he added.

Officials and observers in Palestine are calling for effective international intervention to lift the blockade and introduce comprehensive measures to ensure a great improvement in people’s lives.

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Arab News News World

Hamas Slams Israel Security Hurdles in Gaza border

Hamas Slams Israel Security Hurdles in Gaza border

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has accused Israel of tightening the security measures on the border with the Gaza strip…reports Asian Lite News

Ayman Noufal, a leader of the Hamas armed wing, known as al-Qassam Brigades, on Wednesday told a news briefing in Gaza city that the security measures the Israeli Army is tightening on the borders with the Gaza strip “will not protect it in the future.”

Three weeks ago, the Israeli Army had announced completing the construction of the smart barrier around the Gaza strip after three and a half years of work, at the cost of 3.5 billion Israeli shekels (about $1.109 billion), Xinhua news agency reported.

ALSO READ: Israel arrests more than 50 Hamas operatives after fatal shooting

The barrier is about 65 km, including an underground wall equipped with detectors, an upper fence, a sea barrier, a detection system and shooting observatories.

Also on Wednesday, around 12 militant groups, including al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wings of the militant group of the Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine held a joint military maneuver in the Gaza strip.

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Arab News News World

Unemployment rate in Hamas-ruled Gaza exceeds 50%

A Palestinian official has announced that the unemployment rate in the Hamas-ruled Gaza strip has exceeded 50 percent in 2021 with more than 2,50,000 Palestinians unemployed…reports Asian Lite News

Maher al-Taba’a, Director of the Chamber of Commerce in Gaza, said in a statement that an earlier World Bank report showed that the Gaza strip, one of the most densely populated areas in the world, has the world’s highest unemployment rate, Xinhua news agency reported.

The unemployment rate has soared to even 78 per cent among graduates aged between 20 to 29 years who have a certificate with an intermediate diploma or a bachelor’s degree, al-Taba’a added.

Meanwhile, the poverty rate in the Gaza strip has grown to 64 per cent amid the Israeli blockade and an internal division between Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah Party, he said.

ALSO READ: Israel unemployment rate decline to lowest since Covid-19 outbreak

The rate of food instability among the Gaza strip households has reached 69 per cent, according to the Palestinian official.

The Gaza strip, home to more than 2 million Palestinians, has been under an Israeli blockade since Hamas seized control of the coastal enclave in 2007.

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Reprieve For Gaza Christians

Reprieve For Gaza Christians

Before 2007, the number of Christians living in Gaza had reached 5,000. Now there are 800 only, according to Ayyad…reports Asian Lite News

Hundreds of Palestinian Christians in the Gaza strip have left the besieged enclave for the West Bank to celebrate Christmas and the New Year, for the first time in two years since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, a spokesman for the Christian community in Gaza has said.

Reprieve For Gaza Christians

Kamel Ayyad, Spokesman of the Christian community in Gaza, told Xinhua on Tuesday that 722 Christians from Gaza applied to the Israeli side for permits to visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem, and Jordan, and 468 of them obtained permits and left earlier this week to Israel, the West Bank, and Jordan.

The rest of the applicants, many of whom are children, women and elderly, were banned from leaving Gaza for unspecified security reasons, he added.

ALSO READ: Second Phase of Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan underway

The Gaza strip, home to more than 2 million Palestinians, has been under an Israeli blockade since Hamas violently seized control of the coastal enclave in 2007, Xinhua news agency reported.

Before 2007, the number of Christians living in Gaza had reached 5,000. Now there are 800 only, according to Ayyad.

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Second Phase of Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan underway

Second Phase of Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan underway

The second phase of an Egyptian reconstruction plan to help rebuild the Gaza Strip following the enclave’s destruction caused during the 11-day offensive earlier this year, is underway…reports Asian Lite News

Ibrahim al-Shuniqi, head of the reconstruction committee, told leaders of the Palestinian factions and government officials that the start of the second phase in the Gaza Strip came under the directives of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Egyptian official, who chaired a delegation of engineers and construction experts, made the remarks during a ceremony held in Gaza City to celebrate the start of the second phase in the coastal enclave.

Second Phase of Egypt’s Gaza reconstruction plan underway

“The political leadership’s instructions are to provide assistance to Palestinian manpower and companies in Gaza that are capable of carrying out the work,” al-Shuniqi said.

On May 10, Israel and Hamas engaged in the large-scale 11-day aerial offensive on the Gaza Strip, leaving more than 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis dead.

According to the official figures, around 1,800 housing units in the Gaza Strip were destroyed, and 16,800 units had been damaged.

Egypt brokered a ceasefire agreement between the two sides which ended the offensive. It also pledged $500 million in two phases to help rebuild the territory.

ALSO READ: Saif bin Zayed visits Egypt Pavilion at Expo 2020

Al-Shuniqi said that the first phase, which started after the end of the Israeli offensive, included the removal of rubble and debris.

He added that the second phase will include constructing three housing projects in the Strip’s centre and north and two bridges in Gaza city, paving destroyed crossroads and building a corniche road.

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Palestinian official: Israel impedes reconstruction in Gaza

Palestinian official: Israel impedes reconstruction in Gaza

A senior Palestinian official has accused Israel of impeding the process of reconstruction in the besieged Gaza Strip, which is ruled by the Hamas…reports Asian Lite News

Naji Sarhan, undersecretary of the ministry of housing and public works, told a news conference in Gaza city that the reconstruction plan “is going very slowly”, and Israel is “fully responsible”, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Palestinian side had earlier accused Israel of not showing any commitment to reconstructing what had been destroyed in an offensive by Israel in May.

Palestinian official: Israel impedes reconstruction in Gaza

On May 10, Israel and Hamas engaged in an 11-day large-scale aerial offensive on the Gaza Strip.

During the conflict, more than 250 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.

The wave of conflict ended after Egypt brokered a ceasefire agreement between the Hamas-led militants and Israel on May 21.

According to the official figures, around 1,800 housing units in the Gaza Strip were destroyed, and 16,800 units had been damaged during the 11-day attack.

“Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip, home of more than 2 million Palestinians, exacerbated the humanitarian, economic and social crises,” Sarhan said, adding that the latest wave of tension caused a direct loss of $420 million.

“Qatar and Egypt have pledged a financial grant of $500 million each for the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip,” Sarhan said, adding that Germany donated $9 million and other states donated $20 million.

ALSO READ: Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian man, injures two in West Bank

After the conflict, Egypt sent engineers, construction equipment, and Egyptian workers to help remove the rubble of the destroyed buildings. But Israel tried to ban the shipment of raw materials to Gaza “to pressure Hamas to lessen its demands for reaching a permanent truce agreement. But under international pressure, Israel allowed the shipment of all materials for the first time in years”, Sarhan told Xinhua in November.

The progress of Gaza’s reconstruction, which may last for several months, depends on the political situation and field conditions, he added.