Israel Agrees to Ceasefire to Facilitate Polio Vaccinations in Gaza

The United Nations reports that in three parts of the Gaza Strip, the fighting will be suspended from morning to afternoon for three days each, in order to vaccinate children. Relatives of hostages are trying to enter the Gaza Strip.

UN Peacekeeping Force concerned about escalation risk in the Middle East; Tensions in southern Lebanon, Gaza Strip and at the Blue Line; UNIFIL adjustment possible in case of ceasefire.

Starting from Sunday, 640,000 children in the Gaza Strip are set to be vaccinated against polio. This will involve ceasefire periods, 400 vaccination centers, and 300 mobile teams. A recent case of polio has emerged, and the poor hygiene conditions could facilitate the rapid spread of the virus. Globally, millions of people have been saved from paralysis and death through vaccination campaigns. The vaccination effort will be carried out in zones, with a possibility of extension.

The 1-year-old Abdul Rahman Abu Al-Jidyan is the first polio patient in Gaza in 25 years. He had a fever and is paralyzed in both legs. To prevent further infections, Israel and Hamas agreed to ceasefires so that the Palestinian Ministry of Health, together with WHO, UNICEF and UNRWA, can vaccinate more than 640,000 children under 10 years of age with the new oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) in two rounds. According to the WHO, the situation in Gaza provides a favorable breeding ground for the..