11 El Al planes to bring millions of masks, protective suits to Israel from China

The Israeli Defense Ministry arranged an airlift of critically needed medical equipment from China to help fight the country’s coronavirus outbreak.

By Associated Press

In a statement Sunday, the Israeli Defense Ministry said the first plane of in a medical supplies airlift from China is set to arrive on Monday, carrying more than 900,000 surgical masks and half a million protective suits for medical teams.

The ministry said Israeli airline EL Al has modified 11 Boeing Dreamliner aircraft for the operation. The airlift, which is to bring in millions of items as well as breathing machines, is to take place over two weeks.

The ministry has been coordinating an effort in recent weeks with other government ministries, the Mossad intelligence agency and the private sector to cope with the health crisis. Israel’s Foreign Ministry and Israeli chemical maker ICL also participated in the airlift mission.

Israel has reported more than 8,000 cases of COVID-19 and 49 deaths.

In the Gaza Strip, Hamas permitted the first group of Palestinians to leave quarantine centers at four Gaza schools after a 21-day period of isolation. The Gaza Health Ministry said most of the 320 people were returnees from abroad.

Gaza’s Hamas rulers have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on rockets, weapons, and terror tunnels during the past decade, neglecting medical facilities and other basic needs of the population it rules.

Hamas receives aid monthly from Qatar, with other terror groups in the enclave, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, receiving massive amounts of aid from Iran.