In Times of War... The Necessity of Activating a Crisis Cell in Palestine

Expert in Economic Governance

As soon as the dust settled from the initial Israeli-American strikes on Iran, Palestinian citizens, as is their custom, rushed to gas stations, despite Israel's closure of the remaining open gates or checkpoints in the West Bank, which has a thousand gates and barriers. There was also a state of chaos in purchasing goods and food supplies. The Ministry of National Economy quickly issued a statement reassuring citizens that goods were available for long periods. It also added a contact line for community grievances, which is a positive step. Some governors initiated temporary closures of gas stations to organize fuel supply operations, which are also good measures to control the situation.

However, we need to activate a crisis cell led by the government, involving the private sector, the banking sector, and civil society institutions, to manage the Palestinian situation amidst a war, which we are currently in the midst of, and at the eye of the storm itself. We do not know its extent or duration, nor its developments, especially as it is expected that Israel will direct its strategic resources (electricity/water/fuel) to serve its military and security apparatus, and then to Israeli society, and we will be at the bottom of the list, not among the priorities or interests.

Therefore, there is a necessity to announce a crisis cell, from which emergency committees will emerge at the level of each governorate. It should designate only one media channel for it, to serve as the source and reference for all media outlets, under accountability, with directions and updates for citizens regarding all aspects of their lives and livelihoods, including media updates about the working hours of official institutions, the hours of universities and schools, regulating and controlling the distribution of fuels to ensure fairness in distribution, and prioritizing ambulances, civil defense, and vital services. Additionally, it is important to prevent hoarding or stockpiling of fuels by monitoring fuel supply and sales operations by security and specialized agencies, setting purchase ceilings. The same applies to shops of different goods; while it is true that the stock of goods is sufficient for (6) months, without government organization and regulation, chaos will ensue, especially since the developments of the war are unknown.

We should not solely rely on the culture of the citizen and their awareness. In times of war, rumors proliferate, chaos increases, and tendencies toward individual and random solutions emerge, further exacerbating crises and increasing the marginalization of vulnerable social groups, contrary to the principles of social justice. This requires governmental regulation and activation of the roles of relevant parties at a central level or at the level of the governorates.