In the Gaza Strip, which is experiencing a polio resurgence due to ongoing conflict, a regional ceasefire is planned to facilitate vaccination efforts. Israel has clarified that this ceasefire will be limited in scope.
According to the Times of Israel (TOI), the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on August 29 that it will collaborate with UNICEF to carry out polio vaccinations in Gaza. Polio, caused by the poliovirus (cVDPV), leads to paralysis. The recent outbreak in Gaza is the first in 25 years, with a confirmed case in a 10-month-old child in central Gaza on October 16.
Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO’s representative in Palestine, explained that the plan involves administering oral vaccines to 640,000 children under ten years old in Gaza. The ceasefire, agreed upon by Israel and Hamas, will last three days in central Gaza starting September 1, with daily pauses from 6 AM to 3 PM. Similar ceasefires will follow in southern and northern Gaza. The WHO hopes to extend the ceasefire to four days if needed to ensure adequate vaccination coverage.
Should both sides adhere to the ceasefire, the WHO aims to secure nine days for vaccination efforts. Peeperkorn highlighted that at least seven days are required for effective vaccination. The WHO has already received 1.26 million doses of the polio vaccine, with a second round of vaccination planned four weeks after the initial doses.
Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office has denied reports that the government agreed to a full truce, specifying that hostilities will only pause in certain areas. Channel 13 reported during his recent visit that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the ceasefire.
On August 29, Hamas spokespersons stated they agreed to a seven-day ceasefire but stressed that Israel must uphold its commitments. An Egyptian official noted that this ceasefire does not cover all Israeli military operations in Gaza. TOI added that this ceasefire is separate from broader negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
