Coronavirus Continues Spread in Israel, Gaza

Israel is struggling to get its pandemic under control, as coronavirus czar Ronni Gamzu demanded on Thursday that the government “back [him] up” instead of questioning his motives and revealed he had considered leaving his position a few times already. Nearly 2,000 new patients were diagnosed Wednesday, with an infection rate of just over 6%. The number of serious cases is still on the rise, with 428 in serious condition. In Gaza, things seem to be deteriorating at a much faster pace. After shutting the entire strip of land down for 48 hours following the discovery of four cases on Tuesday, authorities have now extended the lockdown by 72 hours and are dealing with at least 26 cases, spread across the area. The territory, controlled by the Hamas terror group is considered one of the poorest, most densely populated places on earth. Human rights organizations warned on Thursday that if unaided, Gaza will face a severe humanitarian crisis.