Coronavirus first entered the main population in Gaza at the end of August and is now spreading rapidly. The official figures show that in the last two weeks the number of recorded cases in Gaza has tripled with 12,000 new cases and 62 fatalities. However this vastly under-estimates the actual numbers.

“Greetings Dear Readers, from one of the hottest spots in the world, the Gaza Strip. What is known as an impoverished coastal enclave, densely populated and until recently was known as one of the few places that was corona-free — that was until two exogenous cases were detected.” Gazan journalist Omar Ghraieb writes exclusively for Amos Trust about life in the Gaza Strip and COVID-19.

“In Gaza we live a tragedy, desperately trying to survive. We try to live, grow up, work and travel, but we are in a prison. But we do not give up.” Fadi — Gaza City. Amos Director Chris Rose writes about the ‘privilege’ of being able to visit our friends in Gaza and why supporting our partner NECC is as important now as it ever was.

“The news, the TV adverts, the incessant ‘sponsored FB ads’ are flooding our screens on an hourly basis, helpfully reminding us of all the things we are lacking in our lives and how cheaply we can obtain them to reach that much anticipated state of nirvana!” Sarah Baron writes about why Black Friday might be a bad idea and suggests a few alternatives.

For the next 18 months, our Palestine campaign will be ‘Ahlan Gaza’. It will follow the simple stories of people living in Gaza, people trying to live with dignity as their options close in on them each year.