While Gaza's children are getting polio vaccines, there's no protection from Israel's attacks

There seems to be some progress in tackling poliovirus in the besieged Gaza Strip, but ultimately there is no protection for the Palestinian population against the devastating attacks of Israel's genocidal war. 

So far, at least 69 per cent of Palestinian children in the southern parts of the besieged coastal enclave have received their first dose of the vaccine against the poliovirus, according to the Gaza-based Palestinian health ministry. 

"About 441,647 children, including 49 per cent females and 51 per cent males, have been vaccinated since the vaccination campaign started eight days ago," the Palestinian health ministry noted in a press statement sent to The New Arab.

The vaccination campaign for children under ten years also kicked off in the central areas of Gaza, such as Deir al-Balah city and the refugee camps of al-Mughazai, al-Nuseirat and al-Beuriej, and the cities of Khan Younis and Rafah in the south of Gaza. 

"The first round of the vaccination campaign is being completed in the southern areas of Gaza yesterday as it kicked off in the northern areas of Gaza," the ministry added.

The Palestinian health ministry is leading the vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip in cooperation with the World Health Organisation, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). 

However, the vaccination campaign has faced some challenges in getting Israel's permission to arrive in the eastern areas of Khan Younis city in the south of Gaza since the Israeli army classifies these areas as "unsafe combat zones", Mousa Abed, the director of general of primary care in the health ministry, told TNA. 

"We were able to reach some of these areas and vaccinate children after we coordinated with the Israeli side, but there are other areas that we have not yet obtained approval for, such as the town of Khuza'a east of Khan Younis," Abed said. 

"Even when we obtained the Israeli approval to reach some areas in Rafah and Khan Younis cities, the army limited our time to finish our missions there, which forced us to leave the areas before achieving our goals of vaccinating all the children," he elaborated. 

"Up to now, we have been waiting for Israeli approval to reach seven other areas in east Khan Younis and Rafah city, despite the passage of four days since submitting the coordination request," Abed added.

Systematic attacks

The twelve-day campaign began on 1 September after Israel and Hamas agreed to three separate temporary four-day ceasefires in specific locations in the Gaza Strip to facilitate the polio vaccination campaign.

The moves for these limited ceasefires came after the Palestinian health ministry recorded the first case of polio in 25 years last month. Poliovirus is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects children under the age of five. 

According to the World Health Organisation, the disease is spread from person to person, mainly through faecal to oral transmission or, less commonly, through contaminated water or food.

Making matter worse is Israel's systematic attacks on most of the civilian infrastructure, as well as the hospitals, medical centres, homes, and basically all aspects of life in the besieged coastal enclave, according to Palestinian, human rights, medical and UN organisations. 

Currently, the Israeli army has forcibly displaced more than 1.9 million people. Many are living in inhuman conditions, such as temporary tents or partially destroyed houses, without access to basic needs like food and water. 

Mountains of garbage have piled up in the streets of Gaza, and sewage has flooded large areas near to where people have sought shelter. 

"The situation in Gaza is very dire because of the ongoing conflict between Hamas and the Israeli army [...] the civilians in Gaza barely can deal with such catastrophic conditions amid the lack of the basic needs, starting from safe houses and places and guarantee of not being targeted by the Israeli army," said Javid Abdelmoneim, a medical team leader for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders, who was in Gaza from 6 June until 31 July.

"Unfortunately, the Israeli army systematically attacked the infrastructure, water, hospitals and other basic facilities for locals, which distributed to spreading the diseases among the locals, mainly the children," Abdelmoneim noted.

"If the army continues its actions against the locals in Gaza (particularly civilians) including the military attacks of most of Gaza, the closure of the borders, and the prevention of allowing the medicine to enter Gaza, the locals will suffer from more diseases in Gaza," he added. 

"It is very important to reach a ceasefire in Gaza and allow the medical teams to enter the territory to help local staff in dealing with the high number of causalities and even those who are infected with diseases," he stressed. 

To avoid the spread of more diseases in Gaza, Abdelmoneim argues that all countries have the responsibility to encourage a ceasefire as soon as possible. 

No vaccine against warfare

As Israel allows medical teams in Gaza to carry out the vaccination campaign, the Israeli army still is continuing attacks on civilians, including children who also received the vaccines. 

Just a few hours of receiving their doses, the Israeli army seriously wounded Hanan and Misk al-Douqi, two sisters who were displaced to Deir al-Balah city.

The Israeli strike on where they were sheltering killed their mother, Shaimaa, severely wounded their father, and the two girls lost their legs. 

"Without any prior notice, the criminal Israeli army attacked my brother's house, killing his wife and wounding his two daughters, who were all innocent," Shifaa al-Douqi told TNA. 

"Is this Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's target in the war? Where is the security and safety that this unjust world keeps talking about?" the 30-year-old aunt asked. 

"The children of Gaza's dream is to play, have fun, eat, drink, and be safe and secure, but Israel is killing their innocence and dreams. And the world is silent and is complicit in Netanyahu's massacres and crimes against our people in Gaza," she said.