Securitising health in the Occupied Palestinian Territories: the COVID-19 pandemic response and future implications

For decades, the links between security and health, as well as securitisation and health, have been assessed in response to health emergencies (e.g. HIV/AIDS, SARS, H5N1, H1N1, Ebola, Zika) across various geographical contexts. The COVID-19 pandemic presented additional opportunities to evaluate this nexus. This paper analyses securitisation processes of COVID-19 within the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). We find that in addition to the existing fragility and fragmentation of the Palestinian health systems, there has been a multifaceted pattern of securitisation implemented by Israel during the pandemic. Mechanisms of securitisation include digital surveillance, the COVID-19 response in occupied East Jerusalem, inequitable treatment of Palestinian prisoners, and the escalation of home demolitions and displacement of Palestinians. The political context of extended military occupation and absence of Palestinian sovereignty has meant Palestinians have been unable to effectively manage the pandemic. Failure to address this context will lead to poor outcomes in future health crises. It is increasingly urgent to confront these dynamics considering the ongoing military campaign in Gaza since October 2023. It is imperative to address the conditions that have facilitated the securitisation of COVID-19 in the OPT – primarily, prolonged military occupation – to enable Palestinians to exercise their rights to health and self-determination.