Israel has provided its citizens with gas masks against a possible Iraqi attack, but none to its 3.5 million Palestinian inhabitants. Talal Jabari reports from the West Bank An elderly Israeli couple leaves the Malcha Mall in Jerusalem carrying some shopping bags and two small cardboard boxes with black rubber straps. They have just been to the gas mask distribution centre in the mall's basement to pick up their kits. Israelis have been visiting malls and other centres across the country over the past few months to pick up these kits. Their government has been warning them of an impending war since last November. A typical Israeli kit consists of a gas mask with filter and flask, various powders to counter the effects of poisonous gases, and atropine shots. But as Israeli Home Front Command officers hand out the few remaining kits, and Defence Ministry officials debate the development of new gas masks, the Palestinians have been left unprotected. During the 1991 Gulf War, Iraq launched 39 Scud missiles with conventional warheads against Israeli cities; Israelis had been equipped with gas mask kits back then too. Some kits were also distributed to Palestinians, but much of this equipment was past its expiry date. Back in 1991, there was no peace deal between Israelis and Palestinians, and no Palestinian Authority. The Israeli military -- in control of the entire West Bank and Gaza Strip, and recognised internationally as an occupying force -- had a duty to provide protection for the population under its control. After the Oslo Accords, the occupied territories were divided into various areas: Area "A" came under full Palestinian control, Area "B" under Palestinian civil control but Israeli military control, and Area "C" under full Israeli control. For over a year now, the Israeli Army has been carrying out military campaigns in the West Bank that have left the infrastructure of the Palestinian Authority in tatters, and the Israeli Army is once again in de facto control of the entire West Bank. Now, with perhaps only a few days to go before another Gulf War, both sides are either unwilling or unable to protect the 3.5 million Palestinians against a potential chemical or biological attack. "The Palestinian Ministry of Health doesn't believe there is a possibility that Saddam [Hussein] would use such weapons because they don't believe he has them," said Dr Peter Qumri, director of Hussein Hospital in Bethlehem. Dr Qumri was responsible for Palestinian preparations during the last Gulf War, and admits that neither his hospital -- one of the biggest Palestinian government hospitals -- nor any others are prepared. They lack even an adequate supply of atropine, the antidote for mild nerve agents. Dr Qumri feels helpless. "We hope and pray that nothing bad happens." The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), provider of medical assistance in the Palestinian territories, is just as unprepared as the Palestinian Authority. Says ICRC spokesperson Ronald Ofteringer in Jerusalem, "we will closely follow the situation and react accordingly." The Israeli government is trying to avoid scare tactics that would alarm the entire Israeli population. Officials say the chances of Saddam Hussein using weapons of mass destruction are lower than 12 years ago. That has not stopped them from taking precautions. They have distributed the gas mask kits and told their citizens to prepare sealed rooms in case of an attack. After all, some are worried about what Saddam Hussein might do when cornered. Most Palestinians, however, agree with the assessment that Iraq will not launch non-conventional weapons. And despite United States Secretary of State Colin Powell's speech last Wednesday to the United Nations Security Council, the majority of Palestinians continue to firmly believe that Iraq does not possess weapons of mass destruction. "At this moment I don't think Iraq has anything," said Amanda Shatara, a resident of Ramallah. Her brother-in-law Khalil is more certain. "We know well that Iraq does not have anything." The Shataras, like most Palestinians, have not made any special war preparations. They have not received gas masks nor have they sealed a room. But the virtual Israeli reoccupation of Area "A" and the curfews lasting days on end means that most families are used to stockpiling flour, sugar and other basic commodities. They say these regular curfew preparations are also war preparations because they expect the Israeli Army to impose long- term curfews in the event of another Gulf War, fearing attacks against Israeli targets by armed Palestinians or suicide bombers. Although most agree it is highly unlikely that Iraq would target areas near Palestinian population centres, the Israeli coastal cities are a mere 15 miles away from the West Bank cities of Tulkarm and Qalqilya downstream of the jet stream, meaning the chemicals would be carried by the prevailing winds. However, the Palestinian Authority maintains the stance that citizens will not be provided with protective kits similar to those issued to their Israeli counterparts. Sources in the Ministry of Health have said they know, for certain, there is no risk of an attack using weapons of mass destruction. Meanwhile, an Israeli military source says that there are plans in the pipeline to supply gas mask kits to around 60,000 Palestinians living in Area "C", and possibly to the entire Palestinian population "at the time when there are specific alerts of missiles falling on Israel". With only a 6-minute warning between the launching of missiles in Iraq and their landing in Israel, they might not have enough time to get masks to all in the danger zone.
