Israeli forces have killed at least 48 Palestinians in the past 24 hours in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials said today, as health workers administered polio vaccinations to children in the enclave for a second day.
Palestinian and United Nations officials said more than 80,000 children were vaccinated in central Gaza on Sunday, the first day of the vaccination campaign.
Hamas and Israel have agreed to brief ceasefires so the campaign to vaccinate some 640,000 children can go ahead. No violations near vaccination facilities have been reported.
Seven Palestinians were killed in two Israeli airstrikes in Gaza City, Palestinian officials said today, while two airstrikes killed six others in Bureij and Nusheirat, two of the Gaza Strip’s historic refugee camps.
There is currently no comment from the Israeli military.
The armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad reported that militants clashed with Israeli forces in the north, south and some central areas of Gaza with anti-tank rockets and mortars.
Calls for a truce
UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine Refugees, today reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire to help ensure the success and safety of the polio vaccination campaign.
“On Day 1 alone, UNRWA teams & partners reached approximately 87,000 children, according to WHO [ο Παγκόσμιος Οργανισμός Υγείας]. Efforts continue to provide children with this essential vaccine, but what they need most is #CeasefireNow,” he said on social media platform X.
Israel and Hamas continued to blame each other for the failure to reach a ceasefire that would end the war and lead to the exchange of Israeli and foreign hostages held in Gaza for many Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.
Vaccinations
Parents continued to bring their children to be vaccinated at medical facilities. The World Health Organization says a reduction in the daily vaccination schedule in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Gaza, has contributed to the resurgence of polio in the region.
Polio is caused by a highly contagious virus that can cause paralysis and death in infants, with those under the age of two at greatest risk.
The WHO confirmed last month that a baby was partially paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, the first such incident in the region in 25 years.
Palestinians say a critical reason for the resurgence of polio is the collapse of the health system and the destruction of most hospitals in the Gaza Strip. Israel accuses Hamas of using the hospitals for military purposes, which the Islamist group denies.
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