Israeli Forces Strike Northern Gaza As Polio Vaccination Campaign Presses On
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Israel’s ongoing military offensive on northern Gaza has escalated, with airstrikes targeting densely populated areas even as a critical polio vaccination campaign struggles to reach children under siege.
Israeli forces launched strikes on two residential buildings in northern Gaza early Saturday, trapping several Palestinians under the rubble, as appeals for rescue operations intensified.
Amid the Israeli violence, a polio vaccination campaign is underway in northern Gaza, where UNICEF and other United Nations agencies resumed efforts to vaccinate children against the debilitating virus.
The initiative began Saturday, with the goal of reaching approximately 100,000 children; however, continued access issues and the volatile security situation hinder comprehensive coverage, particularly for the 15,000 children isolated by the siege.
During the campaign’s first day, a quadcopter deployed by Israeli forces reportedly released stun grenades near a vaccination center, injuring at least three children and their parents, further heightening local fears. “Parents are deeply worried,” said a spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent Society on social media platform X. “Our clinics are seeing a significant number of families determined to vaccinate their children, but the conditions are dire.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported additional injuries when a stun grenade was dropped on a Gaza City vaccination center despite previous discussions of a humanitarian pause. Meanwhile, UNRWA, the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees, stressed the urgent need for a ceasefire, with spokespersons warning, “Children will continue to die and suffer until lasting peace is achieved.”
More than 43,200 Palestinians have been killed and over 101,800 wounded since the onset of the Israeli genocidal war, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Polio had been eradicated in Gaza 25 years ago, but the destruction of the healthcare system in the enclave as a result of Israeli attacks triggered multiple health crises, which saw the virus spreading again.
A 10-month-old Palestinian baby was partly paralysed as a result of the virus earlier this year, prompting the rollout of the campaign.
But the campaign will not only benefit those inside the enclave, as authorities are also trying to prevent spread to neighboring countries.
