Everyone has now experienced the feeling of lockdown and quarantine. Fortunately, this is to save lives. In Gaza, it has only caused death and suffering.

This week, several extreme measures were taken to suspend core features of Israel’s ‘democracy’ – the parliament was closed, the courts, and more. This has been framed as a necessary response to the coronavirus epidemic. But Israel has a long and sordid record of exploiting ’emergency’ for cynical aims.

Nada Elia says it is offensive to compare our circumstances with the coronavirus in the United States to those of the besieged Palestinians in Gaza.

Four Palestinian prisoners being held in the Megiddo prison in northern Israel have officially been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, sparking fears that the respiratory disease could spread quickly amongst the prison population.

Netanyahu has adopted a fatherly tone in responding to the COVID-19 crisis, trying to present himself as the indispensable Prime Minister, even as he runs a racist campaign against rival Benny Gantz’s effort to build a coalition to put him out of office.

How can I not think of the residents of Gaza who are prisoners of an inhuman blockade that has lasted for more than 13 years when I find myself confined to my home, forbidden to leave my house except for 5 reasons set by the government and provided that I have a certificate? But in Europe at least, we don’t have snipers to enforce this ban.

Ahmad Al-Bazz reports from the Eyal checkpoint in the West Bank where Palestinian workers are forced into dangerous, overcrowded conditions as they attempt to cross Israeli checkpoints.

Amidst coronavirus crisis, Ilhan Omar is calling for the U.S. to suspend its sanctions on Iran.

Last week, Palestinian officials took wide-ranging steps, declaring a month-long state of emergency, including closing schools and religious sites, and banning tourists. In the city of Bethlehem, the epicenter of the outbreak in the West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli officials began a lockdown on March 5, preventing entry and exit.

Benny Gantz has vowed to form a broad unity government, possibly including Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party, in order to “heal the Israeli society of the coronavirus.”