Gaza-At least 48 people were killed in Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip on Saturday, according to Palestinian health authorities. The strikes come as the United Nations prepares to launch a polio vaccination campaign in the territory, aiming to immunize 640,000 children against the disease.
The vaccination campaign, set to begin amidst ongoing conflict, relies on daily eight-hour pauses in fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas. However, health officials say a comprehensive ceasefire is needed to guarantee the success of the campaign.
“If the international community truly wants this campaign to succeed, it should call for a ceasefire,” said Yousef Abu Al-Reesh, Gaza’s deputy minister of health. “This virus does not stop, and can reach anywhere.”
The campaign follows the confirmation of a polio case in Gaza last week, the first in 25 years. WHO officials say at least 90% of children need to be vaccinated twice, with four weeks between doses, for the campaign to succeed.
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However, the campaign faces significant challenges in Gaza, which has been devastated by nearly 11 months of war. On Saturday, Israeli strikes killed at least 19 people, including nine members of the same family, in the Nuseirat refugee camp. More than 30 others were killed in strikes across Gaza.
The Israeli military said it continued to operate in the central and southern Gaza Strip, targeting fighters and military infrastructure. The latest episode in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has killed over 40,600 Palestinians and displaced nearly the entire Gaza population of 2.3 million.
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