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UAE helps Gaza resume COVID-19 testing as normalization dust settles

The UAE sent a medical aid convoy to the Gaza Strip as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens, in the first such shipment since normalizing ties with Israel.
A technician handles collected PCR (polymerase chain reaction) swab samples collected as part of COVID-19 coronavirus disease testing, at the Palestinian Gaza-based Health Ministry central laboratory in Gaza City on December 7, 2020. - The Hamas-run Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip announced on December 7 that it will stop testing for the novel coronavirus as it "ran out of examination materials". (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS / AFP) (Photo by MAHMUD HAMS/AFP via Getty Images)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Medical aid from the United Arab Emirates arrived in the Gaza Strip Dec. 17, the first such shipment since the UAE announced full diplomatic relations with Israel on Aug. 13.

The convoy was loaded with 14.4 tons of medical supplies and testing kits to support efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the besieged enclave, according to the Emirates News Agency, which stated, “This aid is part of the UAE's commitment to providing continuous support to the Palestinian people.”

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