UNITED NATIONS, Oct 8 (IPS) – Over the past two months, the polio epidemic in Gaza has slowly declined thanks to response efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations (UN). The first round of the polio vaccination campaign has been largely successful, with approximately 506,000 children vaccinated. If Israeli authorities grant further humanitarian pauses, the second round is expected to begin on October 14. However, health officials are concerned that this will be more difficult than expected due to the continuation of deadly attacks in recent weeks.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reported that three school buildings in Gaza were hit last Wednesday and Thursday, killing more than 20 civilians.
A year has passed since the Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, which killed more than 1,250 civilians and kidnapped 250 people. Israel’s retaliation against Hamas has led to an ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, which has threatened the ability of the health care and humanitarian systems to support Palestinian civilians.
This year, Israeli forces carried out two airstrikes in the Gaza Strip, attacking a mosque and a school-turned-shelter. These targets were described by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as “command and control centers” for Hamas militants, but no evidence of this was provided. More than 26 civilians were killed in these attacks, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
On October 6, a platoon of fighter planes ordered by the IDF struck the Jabalia refugee camp, killing at least 19 people. The Palestinian Civil Protection Agency added that the death toll also includes nine children. Israel had also carried out an armed ground operation to surround the refugee camp, stating that the area was being used as “weapons storage facilities, underground infrastructure sites, terrorist cells and additional military infrastructure sites”.
Hours later, the IDF ordered all residents of northern Gaza to flee south, as the entire northern part of the enclave is now considered an evacuation zone and susceptible to bombing. Leaflets were dropped in this area stating that this order precedes “a new phase of the war”. “People left their homes this morning and don’t know where to go, carrying some simple belongings. There is no means of transportation,” said Abu Alaa Asaf, a resident of Beit Lahiya, a city in northern Gaza.
This weekend, another evacuation order was issued for southern Gaza, requiring residents to evacuate to designated shelters in al-Mawasi, which is considered a “safe zone” for the duration of the conflict. On Saturday, Israeli authorities announced that the safe zone would be expanded, with evacuation routes from Salah al-Din Road and the Al-Rashid coastal road opened for use by residents of northern Gaza. According to the IDF, this expansion includes “field hospitals established since the outbreak of war, tent complexes and supplies of food, water, medicine and medical equipment.”
Many civilians from northern Gaza expressed their reluctance to move in the wake of the new evacuation orders. Many of these sentiments come from displaced residents of the Jabalia camp, which has been targeted several times in the past year. Mohammed Ibrahim, a resident of Jabalia, told reporters: “I, along with my two sons, have stayed in Jabalia and are not going anywhere. There is no safe place in Gaza, and death is the same here or there.”
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has reiterated its concern for the affected children amid the escalation of hostilities. The Al-Baraka IDP shelter in al-Mawasi currently houses more than 400 families and has been described as an “orphanage town”. “The number of children cared for here is just a drop in the sea of orphans in Gaza who need protection. The number of unprotected orphans in Gaza now ranges between 17,000 and 18,000, many of whom are unaccompanied by family members.” , according to UNICEF.
In response to the recent attacks on Gaza, French President Emmanuel Macron has ordered a halt to arms deliveries to Israel. On the France Inter radio program, Macron said: “The priority is that we return to a political solution, that we stop supplying weapons to the struggle in Gaza.” He added that the ongoing hostilities in Gaza and the escalating situation in Lebanon are of great concern. However, despite the arms embargo, Macron reiterated French support for Israel and its security.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Macron’s order a “disgrace” and noted that all countries that do not support Israel support Iran and its allies. US President Joe Biden has also expressed frustration with Netanyahu, stating that Israel “didn’t do enough” to reach a hostage deal and ceasefire.
Netanyahu denied reports of a pending ceasefire deal, shortly after US officials said the agreements were 90 percent complete. “Hamas is not there with a deal. Unfortunately, there is no deal in the works,” Netanyahu said.
The WHO fears that the uncertainty over the ceasefire will put thousands of Palestinians at risk of falling prey to the polio epidemic. The upcoming second round of the vaccination campaign will prove crucial as around 90 percent immunity is needed to prevent the virus from resurging in Gaza. The WHO, the UN and the Palestinian Ministry of Health are currently negotiating further humanitarian breaks with the IDF. If allowed, the second round of vaccination efforts is expected to end on October 29.
IPS UN agency report
Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
Follow IPS News UN Bureau on Instagram
© Inter Press Service (2024) — All rights reservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service
