An initial batch of 1,000 coronavirus vaccine doses donated by Russia will enter Gaza on Wednesday, Israel's defence ministry told AFP, after it had blocked a shipment earlier this week. The Israeli military branch responsible for civilian affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories (COGAT) said that the Sputnik V doses were being "transferred from the Palestinian Authority (in the West Bank) to Gaza, following (Israeli) political approval". It added that "the vaccine shipment is now making its way to the Erez crossing" that connects Israel to the blockaded Gaza Strip, an enclave which is controlled by the Islamist group Hamas. alv-bs/fz