The World Health Organization reported that six individuals, including four children, were injured in an attack on a polio vaccination center in northern Gaza.
The WHO had just resumed the second round of vaccinations in northern Gaza yesterday after previously suspending the program due to Israeli airstrikes.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the health center was located “in an area where a humanitarian pause was agreed to facilitate vaccination efforts.”
While he did not identify the attacker, Israel refuted claims from a Gaza source suggesting that one of its drones had targeted the center.
An Israeli military communiqué noted: “The IDF (Israel Defense Forces) is aware of allegations regarding the injury of Palestinian civilians at the Sheikh Radwan vaccination center in northern Gaza.”
“Contrary to these allegations, an initial assessment found that the IDF did not conduct a strike in that area at the claimed time,” it continued.
The WHO indicates that approximately 119,000 children in the northern region are awaiting their second dose of the vaccine.
“We have received an extremely troubling report that the Sheikh Radwan primary healthcare center in northern Gaza was hit while parents were bringing their children for vital polio vaccinations in an area designated for a humanitarian pause,” stated Mr. Tedros.
“Six people, including four children, sustained injuries,” he added.
The Israeli military has been heavily targeting northern Gaza for weeks in an extensive campaign said to aim at preventing Hamas militants from re-establishing themselves.
UN agency leaders have described the scenario in north Gaza as “apocalyptic,” stating it has been “deprived of essential aid and life-saving supplies.”
The vaccination initiative commenced on September 1, with a successful first round following the report of Gaza’s first polio case in 25 years.
“A WHO team was present at the site shortly before” the attack on Saturday, Mr. Tedros remarked.
“This strike during a humanitarian pause undermines the integrity of health protections for children and may discourage parents from bringing their children for vaccinations,” he emphasized.
The WHO asserts that approximately 119,000 children in the north are pending their second dose, while 452,000 have been vaccinated in central and southern Gaza.
Poliovirus, which typically spreads through sewage and contaminated water, is highly contagious.
It can lead to deformities, paralysis, and can be fatal, particularly in children under five years old.
Hamas’s assault on October 7, 2023, which marked the beginning of the Gaza war, resulted in the deaths of 1,206 individuals, primarily civilians, according to an AFP compilation of Israeli government figures.
Israel’s ensuing military operations have claimed the lives of 43,314 people in Gaza, a majority of whom are civilians, based on statistics from the health ministry of the Hamas-led territory that the UN deems credible.
