The United Nations, in partnership with Palestinian health authorities, initiated a vaccination program for 640,000 children in the Gaza Strip on Sunday. This initiative was made possible due to brief ceasefires agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, allowing the campaign to proceed amidst their ongoing 11-month conflict. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently reported that a baby was partially paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, marking the first case in the region in 25 years. The vaccination drive started in central Gaza on Sunday and is expected to expand to other areas in the coming days. Combat activities will be halted for at least eight hours over three consecutive days. The WHO anticipates that these ceasefires may need to be extended to a fourth day, with the initial round of vaccinations estimated to take just under two weeks.
"This marks the beginning of a massive and highly complex campaign, one of the most intricate globally," stated Juliette Touma, communications director of UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. "Today is a crucial test for all parties involved in the conflict to uphold these temporary ceasefires, enabling UNRWA teams and medical personnel to administer these vital two drops to children. It's a race against time," Touma explained to Reuters. Both Israel and Hamas, despite their ongoing disagreements, have pledged cooperation to ensure the campaign's success. WHO officials emphasize that at least 90% of children need to be vaccinated twice, with a four-week interval between doses, for the campaign to be effective. However, significant challenges persist in Gaza, which has suffered extensive damage from the conflict.
"Children remain at risk, as the virus knows no boundaries, checkpoints, or battle lines. Every child in both Gaza and Israel must be vaccinated to mitigate the spread of this deadly disease," Touma added. Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue to engage with Hamas-led militants across various parts of the Palestinian territory. Local residents reported that Israeli troops destroyed several houses in Rafah, near the Egyptian border, while tanks operated in the northern Gaza City suburb of Zeitoun. On Sunday, the Israeli military announced the recovery of six hostages' bodies from a tunnel in southern Gaza, where they were likely killed shortly before Israeli forces arrived. The conflict was ignited following Hamas's incursion into southern Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of over 250 hostages according to Israeli accounts. Since then, the Gaza health ministry reports at least 40,691 Palestinians killed and 94,060 injured.
