The World Health Organization (WHO) senior official stated that the Israeli military and the Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas have agreed to three humanitarian ceasefires in three different areas in Gaza, each lasting for three days, to allow WHO to vaccinate 640,000 children against polio.
This temporary ceasefire is set to begin on Sunday (September 1st) and will be implemented in three stages, with each stage lasting for three days. The ceasefire will start in central Gaza from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. for three days, followed by southern Gaza and then northern Gaza.
The agreement includes the possibility of extending the ceasefire to four days in each region if necessary, and even further if needed.
This vaccination campaign will involve two rounds of vaccinations with a four-week interval between the first and second doses. The immunization activities will target approximately 640,000 children under the age of 10, with each child receiving two doses.
According to Peeperkorn, 1.26 million doses of vaccines and 500 vaccine carriers have already arrived in Gaza. The vaccination rate for polio in Gaza has dropped to over 80% since the beginning of the conflict.
To prevent an outbreak in the besieged area, Peeperkorn emphasized that the vaccination rate must exceed 90%.
In June of this year, the United Nations discovered Type 2 poliovirus in wastewater samples collected in Gaza. Last Friday (August 23rd), WHO confirmed the first case of paralysis in Gaza in 25 years due to Type 2 poliovirus.
CNN reported on Thursday that a U.S. official, speaking anonymously, revealed that Secretary of State Antony Blinken discussed the issue of polio vaccination with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during their meeting last week, stressing the urgency and importance of completing the vaccination campaign.
Robert Wood, the U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations, stated that Israel must facilitate vaccination efforts and maintain calm during the vaccination campaign to avoid military actions.
The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) of the Israeli government announced on Wednesday that vaccination activities will be coordinated with the Israeli Defense Forces as part of the routine humanitarian ceasefire, ensuring that people can access vaccination centers safely.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein announced on social media platform X that Israel continues to focus on providing assistance to Gaza and is coordinating vaccination efforts with the WHO and UNICEF.
(This article referenced reports from Reuters and the Associated Press)