Ramallah, Feb 17 (IANS): Palestine called for an urgent international intervention to pressure Israel to allow the shipment of the coronavirus vaccines into the besieged Gaza Strip.

Palestinian government spokesman Ibrahim Milhem told a news briefing in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday that the Israeli move to prevent the entry of coronavirus vaccines into Gaza "violates both international and humanitarian laws", Xinhua news agency reported.

He called on the World Health Organization "to condemn the Israeli measure and exert immediate pressure on Israel to allow the shipment of the vaccines into the Gaza Strip."

On Monday, Palestinian Health Minister Mai al-Kaila accused Israel of banning the shipment of the first batch of 2,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik vaccine into the Gaza Strip.

"The doses were intended for medical staff working in intensive care units designated for Covid-19 patients and the staff working in emergency health departments," al-Kaila said.