The Gaza Strip set to receive coronavirus vaccine for the first time since the start of the pandemic, after getting an approval from Israel.
A shipment containing 2,000 Russia's "Sputnik V" vaccines is currently making its way from the Palestinian Authority, having been okayed by Israel's political echelon. The shipment set to arrive via the Erez border crossing.
Two weeks ago, Ramallah received about 100,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine as a gift from Russian authorities, 2,000 of which were donated specifically to the Hamas-ruled enclave.
The PA requested to transfer the vaccines to Gazan authorities on Tuesday, but Israel did not approve the move.
Palestinians also expected to receive vaccines from AstraZeneca, having signed an agreement with the British–Swedish pharmaceutical company, as well as the Chinese government.
Prior to receiving the Russian vaccine, Ramallah was sent 5,000 doses by Israel to help speed up vaccination of PA's medical teams. But, it later emerged some of the doses were administered to local government officials, sparking criticism from the public.
Israel has faced criticism by the international community for not expanding its high-paced vaccination drive to the Palestinian Territories even though under the terms of the Oslo Accords, the PA is responsible for the healthcare of its own population and has repeatedly said it is obtaining its own vaccines.