Gaza's Fight for Health Amid War

In central Gaza, parents are lining up for polio vaccinations as conflicts continue to rage. Despite a brief ceasefire, concerns over renewed violence persist. The polio campaign, prompted by a recent case, aims to vaccinate hundreds of thousands of children. Calls for a lasting ceasefire continue amid ongoing diplomatic challenges.

Anxious parents lining up with their children for a polio vaccine in central Gaza counted down the hours until a pause in fighting ends on Wednesday, renewing threats of death and destruction in the war-torn area.

As health officials administered doses, Gazan mother Huda Sheikh Ali questioned the efficacy of the campaign, expressing concerns over the inevitable return of Israeli air strikes and shelling. "There is no protection for them; in a few hours, the ceasefire will end, and we will see children bombed and killed again," she lamented.

The campaign, prompted by the discovery of a polio case in a baby boy last month, marks the first such instance in Gaza in 25 years. Daily eight-hour pauses in fighting have facilitated the vaccination effort, with no violations reported so far. However, a permanent end to hostilities remains elusive as diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire falter.

Triggered by an Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, the latest conflict has claimed the lives of over 40,861 Palestinians and injured 94,398, according to Gaza health ministry figures. The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees has vaccinated around 187,000 children, calling for a lasting ceasefire to alleviate humanitarian suffering. Amidst the collapse of Gaza's health system, parents like Hadeel Darbiyeh demand a permanent resolution to the conflict.

(With inputs from agencies.)