The Israeli army announced March 27 that it had struck Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip in response to a rocket launched toward a settlement in the Gaza envelope on the same day. No injuries were reported. Thousands of Israelis rushed to shelters; this was the first escalation since the coronavirus outbreak in February. Palestinians and Israelis have been staying home as part of efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

No Palestinian faction declared responsibility for the rockets, but Israel shelled Hamas positions because Gaza is under Hamas’ control. Islamic Jihad spokesman Musab al-Breem said in a statement March 28 that Israel is exploiting the world’s preoccupation with fighting the coronavirus to tighten the blockade on Gaza.

Meanwhile, the general atmosphere in Gaza points to a health and livelihood crisis, especially with 12 coronavirus cases reported as of April 2. Could this push Hamas to consider sparking a conflict as a means to deflect attention from the crisis? Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper warned March 29 of a dark, apocalyptic scenario if the Gaza factions clash with Israel amid the coronavirus outbreak. (As of April 2, Israel had 6,857 coronavirus cases, an increase of 765 over the previous day, and the Palestinians 160, an increase of 26.)

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told Al-Monitor, “The Gaza Strip is experiencing disastrous conditions due to the Israeli blockade, and Israel alone bears the responsibility for this ongoing situation. Hamas is communicating with mediators to force Israel to break the Gaza blockade, in light of the coronavirus pandemic, which has added fuel to the fire. The ongoing Gaza blockade does not contribute to a calm security situation.”