By Amos Ssemuwemba
In Gaza, residents have started queuing as a large-scale polio vaccination campaign for children under the age of 10 begins. This urgent public health initiative comes as a response to the first reported case of polio in Gaza in 25 years, after a Palestinian infant contracted the disease. The vaccination campaign, orchestrated by the United Nations’ World Health Organization, aims to immunize approximately 640,000 children. However, the effort is complicated by ongoing conflict, with the rollout dependent on short-lived “humanitarian windows” that last between 06:00 and 15:00 local time, during pauses in hostilities.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has reported the recovery of the bodies of six hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, as the conflict continues. The situation escalated following Hamas’s attack on southern Israel on 7 October, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages. In response, Israel has intensified its military campaign in Gaza, leading to a devastating toll on the territory.
According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, the death toll has surpassed 40,530 since the conflict began on 7 October, highlighting the severe impact on the civilian population amid the ongoing violence.
