Humanitarian Pauses in Gaza for Polio Vaccination Amidst Conflict

The Israeli military and Hamas have agreed to three-day pauses in Gaza fighting for a polio vaccination campaign targeting 640,000 children, beginning Sunday. These pauses will cover central, southern, and northern Gaza. The WHO cites the first polio case in 25 years, highlighting urgent vaccination needs.

The Israeli military and Hamas have reached an agreement for three separate three-day pauses in Gaza's conflict to facilitate the vaccination of approximately 640,000 children against polio, according to senior World Health Organization (WHO) official Rik Peeperkorn.

The campaign, which is set to commence this Sunday, will initially focus on central Gaza, followed by the southern and northern zones. These humanitarian ceasefires will take place from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time, with the option of extending each pause to a fourth day if required.

This initiative comes amid rising humanitarian crises, with the U.N. Security Council discussing the dire situation. The agreement follows escalating violence after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, leading to significant casualties and humanitarian concerns.

(With inputs from agencies.)