GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Since the state of emergency was announced March 5 in the occupied Palestinian territories, the Palestinian government has imposed a series of measures, including a lockdown, in order to contain the coronavirus outbreak. These include shutting down the border crossings and educational facilities, and preventing the movement of individuals in the governorates, villages and refugee camps.
The government required that the citizens stay confined at home. This preventive measure, although of significant importance in the fight against the novel virus, has been harmful to many children who have been subject to violence during the pandemic.