The Israeli military and Palestinian militant group Hamas have consented to three distinct, zoned three-day ceasefires in the Gaza Strip to facilitate the vaccination of approximately 640,000 children against polio, according to a senior WHO official on Thursday.
The vaccination drive is scheduled to commence on Sunday, as stated by Rik Peeperkorn, the World Health Organisation's senior official for the region. He outlined that the campaign will initiate in central Gaza with a three-day halt in hostilities, proceed to southern Gaza with another three-day pause, and conclude in northern Gaza. Peeperkorn further noted that there is an agreement to extend the humanitarian ceasefire in each area to a fourth day if necessary.
The WHO confirmed on August 23 that at least one infant has been paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, marking the first instance in the region in 25 years. The Israeli military's humanitarian unit (COGAT) announced on Wednesday that the vaccination campaign will be carried out in collaboration with the Israeli military as part of the routine humanitarian pauses, enabling the population to access the medical centers where the vaccinations will be administered.
