Lagatar24 Desk
Cairo: Amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza, large crowds of Palestinians gathered at medical centers in the southern parts of the Gaza Strip on Thursday to have their children vaccinated against polio. This marks the beginning of the second phase of a vaccination campaign that has already seen 187,000 children inoculated.
The United Nations Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, reported that the vaccination campaign has been successful despite the complex conditions. The campaign has been made possible by a temporary halt in hostilities, agreed upon by Hamas and Israel, allowing humanitarian work to continue.
Despite these efforts, the conflict persists elsewhere in Gaza. Local health authorities reported several casualties, including deaths from an Israeli airstrike on a hospital in central Gaza.
Ongoing Vaccination Amidst Conflict
On Thursday, the vaccination drive commenced in Rafah and Khan Younis, two areas heavily impacted by the conflict and currently hosting thousands of displaced people. “The #polio vaccination campaign has moved to #Gaza southern areas today. @UNRWA teams are in Khan Younis this morning, working with partners to provide the vaccine to children,” stated UNRWA.
Health officials aim to vaccinate 640,000 children in Gaza against polio after a recent case left a one-year-old partially paralyzed, marking the first such case in Gaza in 25 years. The campaign comes as Gaza’s health system is on the brink of collapse, with many hospitals rendered inoperative due to the ongoing conflict.
Footage shared by the Gaza Health Ministry shows large crowds arriving at medical centers in Khan Younis for vaccinations, highlighting the community’s response despite the difficult circumstances.
Ceasefire Efforts and Continued Fighting
While the vaccination campaign continues, diplomatic efforts to secure a permanent ceasefire have stalled. Israeli forces are still active in several areas of Gaza, clashing with fighters from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group. On Thursday, an Israeli airstrike at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah resulted in five fatalities. The Israeli military claims the strike targeted a command center used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Diplomatic discussions are ongoing, with the United States working on a new proposal for a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas. This proposal seeks to resolve key issues that have led to a prolonged deadlock in negotiations mediated by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that the conflict will only end with the complete eradication of Hamas, while Hamas demands the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from Gaza as part of any agreement to end the war.
The conflict in Gaza was triggered by a Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of over 250 hostages, according to Israeli sources. Since then, over 40,800 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
