Gaza: Palestinian health authorities, in collaboration with United Nations agencies, have initiated a large-scale polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip, following the first reported polio case in 25 years. The campaign aims to prevent an outbreak amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The vaccination effort, which targets approximately 640,000 children, began with a limited number of vaccinations on Saturday and will continue in central Gaza until Wednesday, after which it will expand to the more devastated northern and southern regions of the territory.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that Israel agreed to temporary pauses in the fighting to facilitate the vaccination campaign. Despite these pauses, Israeli strikes in central Gaza were reported early Sunday. The pause ended in the afternoon according to Israel's schedule.

The campaign was confirmed by hospitals in Deir al-Balah and Nuseirat. Israel has stated that the vaccination program will continue through September 9, operating for eight hours each day.

This campaign follows the recent diagnosis of polio in a 10-month-old boy in Gaza, who is now paralyzed in one leg. The WHO has warned that the presence of a paralysis case suggests the potential for hundreds of asymptomatic infections.

The vaccination drive faces significant challenges due to ongoing conflict, destroyed infrastructure, and widespread displacement within Gaza. Approximately 90% of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have been displaced, with many living in dire conditions in makeshift camps. Health officials have expressed concern about the risk of disease outbreaks, exacerbated by poor sanitation and limited access to clean water.

Vaccinations will be administered at around 160 sites across Gaza, including medical centers and schools. Children under 10 will receive two doses of the oral polio vaccine, with the second round planned for four weeks after the first.

Israel allowed 1.3 million vaccine doses to enter Gaza last month, with another shipment of 400,000 doses expected soon. The polio virus detected in this outbreak is a mutated form of the virus used in the oral polio vaccine, which in rare cases can evolve into a form capable of causing new outbreaks.

The vaccination campaign unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing conflict, which began on October 7 when Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing around 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Israel's subsequent military response has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The war has caused widespread destruction, with entire neighborhoods leveled and critical infrastructure severely damaged.

Efforts by the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to broker a cease-fire and secure the release of remaining hostages have so far been unsuccessful.