GAZA CITY. The Gaza Strip has initiated a crucial campaign to vaccinate children against polio, just one day ahead of an anticipated pause in hostilities between Israel and Hamas. The Gaza Health Ministry announced on Saturday that the campaign began amidst the ongoing Israeli military offensive, which has left both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank reeling.
The vaccination campaign is a response to the discovery of the first polio case in Gaza in 25 years, involving a 10-month-old who was partially paralyzed by a mutated strain of the virus. The child’s condition was attributed to the lack of vaccination due to the ongoing conflict.
At a press conference, Dr. Yousef Abu Al-Rish, Deputy Health Minister, emphasized the urgent need for a cease-fire to ensure the campaign’s success. “There must be a cease-fire so that the teams can reach everyone targeted by this campaign,” he said, highlighting the dire conditions in Gaza, where sewage flows through overcrowded tent camps.
Associated Press journalists witnessed the administration of polio vaccines to about 10 infants at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. The broader campaign, coordinated by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO), is set to begin on Sunday, targeting approximately 650,000 Palestinian children under the age of 10.
“We will vaccinate up to 10-year-olds, and God willing, we will be fine,” said Dr. Bassam Abu Ahmed, General Coordinator of Public Health Programs at Al-Quds University. The pause in Israel’s military operations, expected to last at least nine hours, is intended to facilitate the vaccination drive. However, officials clarified that this pause is unrelated to ongoing cease-fire negotiations.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has intensified since October 7, when Hamas-led militants launched a deadly incursion into southern Israel, killing around 1,200 people and abducting approximately 250. Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes and ground operations have resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its reports.
On Saturday alone, the Gaza Health Ministry reported 89 fatalities, including 26 from an overnight bombardment, and 205 injuries, marking one of the highest daily tolls in recent months. Meanwhile, the situation in the West Bank remains volatile as Israeli forces continue a large-scale military campaign, the most intense since the onset of the Israel-Hamas war.
In the West Bank, two car bombs detonated near Israeli settlements in Gush Etzion, injuring three Israeli soldiers. The Israeli military reported that both Palestinian attackers, identified as Muhammad Marqa and Zoodhi Afifeh, were killed following the explosions at a compound in Karmei Tzur and a gas station. Hamas has not claimed the attackers as its fighters but praised the act as a “heroic operation.”
The bombings coincide with Israel’s ongoing raids in Jenin and Tulkarem, which have led to the deaths of around 20 Palestinians. The international community has expressed growing concern that the conflict could extend beyond Gaza. “Many people are in need of assistance, and we cannot reach them,” stated Jenin Governor Kamal Abu-al Rub, underscoring the severity of the situation.
The conflict has also seen a surge in Palestinian casualties in the West Bank, with 663 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the nearly 11 months since the war began, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
As Gaza’s hospitals struggle to cope with the influx of casualties, airstrikes continue to devastate the region, with recent attacks reported in central Gaza, Nuseirat, Khan Younis, and Gaza City. Among the victims were a doctor and his family, as well as a child, according to hospital sources and footage provided by Gaza’s civil defense officials.
Efforts by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt to broker a cease-fire have yet to yield results, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu remains committed to achieving “total victory” over Hamas. At the same time, the militant group demands a lasting cease-fire and full withdrawal from the territory.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
