Israel and Hamas Agree on Pauses for Polio Vaccination in Gaza

Israel and Hamas have agreed to pauses in their conflict to allow a polio vaccination campaign for 640,000 children in Gaza. The World Health Organization outlined a schedule for the vaccination efforts, with three-day ceasefires in central, southern, and northern Gaza. These pauses may be extended for sufficient coverage.

Israel's military and the Palestinian militant group Hamas have agreed to a series of three three-day pauses in fighting in Gaza to facilitate the vaccination of 640,000 children against polio, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official announced on Thursday.

The vaccination drive is set to commence on Sunday, with the truce periods scheduled from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. (0300-1200 GMT), according to Rik Peeperkorn, the WHO's senior official for Palestinian territories. Initial efforts will take place in central Gaza, followed by southern and northern Gaza, with provisions to extend the pauses if necessary.

WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan emphasized the importance of achieving at least 90% coverage during each phase of the campaign to prevent the international spread of polio. He confirmed that one child in Gaza had been paralyzed by the virus, the first case in 25 years. The Israeli military's humanitarian unit (COGAT) and Hamas are coordinating efforts to ensure the campaign's success, despite the ongoing conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)