Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qasem has held the Israeli occupation responsible for the COVID-19 outbreak in occupied Jerusalem, as the Israeli health services continue to deliberately neglect Palestinian residents of the holy city.

In a press release on Wednesday evening, Qasem stressed that the ongoing aggression on Palestinian neighbourhoods in occupied Jerusalem and unabated arrests against Palestinians “proves that the Israeli occupation deliberately tries to spread the coronavirus among the Palestinian people,”

The Hamas spokesperson called on all concerned international organisations to intervene immediately to provide medical supplies to help the Palestinian people face off the COVID-19 pandemic.   

Qasem lauded all popular efforts to protect the Palestinian people against the deadly virus, calling for enhancing the role of popular committees in which all political and societal segments can take part.