Israel and Hamas have agreed to a three-day ceasefire to allow a crucial polio vaccination campaign to take place. The truce aims to protect young children from a recent polio outbreak.
Israel has decided to halt its attacks to help with the vaccination of children under 10 years old. This action follows the recent paralysis of a 10-month-old child, the first case of polio in Gaza in almost 25 years. Doctors have linked the child’s condition to a lack of vaccination caused by ongoing conflict.
The World Health Organization (WHO) and Israel have started a large-scale vaccination campaign. The ceasefire will last until September 9, and vaccinations will occur for eight hours each day. Health workers plan to reach around 640,000 children in Gaza.
To support this effort, some operations in Gaza will be paused to let health workers carry out the vaccinations. This campaign highlights the urgent need to tackle the polio outbreak and protect Gaza’s children.