Israeli airstrikes on Saturday resulted in at least 48 fatalities in the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian health officials. This escalation in violence comes just before the commencement of a planned polio vaccination campaign.
The United Nations aims to vaccinate around 640,000 children in Gaza against polio, contingent on securing daily eight-hour ceasefires between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in specific areas of the besieged territory.
Yousef Abu Al-Reesh, Gaza’s deputy health minister, highlighted that only a comprehensive ceasefire could ensure the campaign’s success, urging the international community to advocate for peace. Medics have begun administering vaccines to children at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis as a preliminary measure.
The campaign follows the recent confirmation of a polio case involving a baby who was partially paralyzed by the type 2 virus, marking the first such instance in Gaza in 25 years. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that at least 90% of children need two doses, spaced four weeks apart, for the campaign to succeed. However, ongoing conflict has severely impacted the implementation efforts.
On Saturday, over 2,000 medical and community workers prepared for the campaign while separate Israeli strikes in Gaza resulted in at least 19 deaths, including nine members of the same family in Nuseirat, a historic refugee camp. Additional strikes across Gaza led to over 30 more fatalities.
Fighting continued between Israeli forces and militant groups, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, in northern Gaza’s Zeitoun neighborhood and in Rafah near the Egyptian border. The Israeli military reported targeting militants and dismantling military infrastructure, with significant destruction reported in Khan Younis.
The violence follows an attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and approximately 250 hostages. In response, Israel’s assault on Gaza has resulted in over 40,600 Palestinian deaths, with the entire population of 2.3 million displaced and facing a severe hunger crisis. Israel faces genocide allegations at the International Court, which it denies.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have continued a military operation in Jenin in the occupied West Bank, with drones and helicopters in the air and sporadic gunfire reported.
