Polio vaccination is stopped when the latest Israeli strike kills nine children in Gaza
Residents say the Israeli military launched one of the largest Gaza strikes in weeks on Tuesday, with health officials sending new warnings that health care faces a complete collapse of Israel's blockade of all supplies.
The Gaza Ministry of Health said an unsupported polio vaccination campaign aimed at 600,000 children being suspended, putting the enclave at risk of a resurgence of a brutal disease that was once completely eliminated but eliminated.
To end the conflict, the Hamas delegation is expected to arrive in Cairo for talks. Two sources familiar with the mediation work said the delegation would discuss a new proposal that included a truce and the end of the battle five to seven years after the release of all hostages.
Sources said Israel rejected the recently proposed Hamas proposal to free all hostages of the war, but has not responded to a long-term armistice proposal for a transformation. Israel demanded Hamas to disarm, but the militants refused.
Sources in Hamas later denied the knowledge of the upcoming visit, telling Reuters the group's request that any agreement must end the war.
Gaza residents said Israeli troops bombed several areas of the enclave from tanks, aircraft and naval ships. They added that the attacks hit houses, tent camps and roads.
9 children killed in the latest Israeli strike
Nasser Hospital said that earlier on Tuesday, Israeli air strikes destroyed a multi-storey house in the southern city of Khan Younis, killing nine people, including four women and four children. The deceased included a two-year-old girl and her parents.
“They fell asleep, sleeping in God's peace. They had nothing to do with anything,” said Awad Dariz, the grandfather of the murdered girl. “What's wrong with this innocent child?”
Also on Tuesday, a strike in the construction of Jabalia refugee camp killed three children and their parents on Tuesday, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health’s emergency services and local hospitals.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the strike but accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure for armed purposes, which Hamas denied.
Officials and residents said the air strikes destroyed bulldozers and vehicles used to lift rubble and helped recover the bodies trapped under the rubble.
Hamas said the destroyed vehicles included nine received from Egypt, adding that the move was intended to “deepen the suffering of our people in Gaza.”
The Israeli military said they hit 40 “engineering vehicles” used for “terrorist operations”, including the execution of Hamas' October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.
The military said the vehicles were considered a key component of Hamas' ability to conduct terrorist operations against the Defense Forces and the State of Israel. ”
If the vaccine does not arrive immediately, then “real disaster”
Israel has brought a blockade of all supplies in Gaza since early March and restarted its military operations after a ceasefire on March 18.
Since then, according to Gaza’s health authorities, Israel’s strike killed more than 1,600 Palestinians, and thousands of land were forced to be created from their homes when Israel occupied the so-called land buffer zone.
Israel's 18-month bombing has left almost all buildings in the Gaza Strip uninhabitable, while 2.3 million people in Gaza now live mainly in open temporary tents. Since the general lockdown was imposed last month, all 25 types of bread that were not available for bread making have been closed.
Israel said that during the six-week truce, enough supplies were sent to the enclave to keep the Gaza people alive for several months. Aid agencies say they fear the population exists on the cliffs of hunger and mass disease.
If the polio vaccine does not arrive immediately, “we expect a real disaster. Children and patients must not be used as cards for political ransomware,” said Khalil Deqran, a spokesman for the Gaza Ministry of Health.
He said 60,000 children are now showing symptoms of malnutrition.
Israel denies violating international law
Israel said its blockade was intended to force Hamas militants operating Gaza to release 59 remaining Israeli hostages in the October 2023 attack, which caused war. Hamas said it was ready to release them, but only as part of the deal to end the war.
Defense Minister Katz wrote on X: “Israel is acting in full accordance with international law.
Kaz wrote: “The humanitarian situation in Gaza is constantly monitored and provides a large amount of assistance. As long as additional assistance is necessary, it must be ensured that it does not pass through Hamas, which uses humanitarian assistance to maintain control over civilians and profit at their expense.”
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Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, the UN Palestinian Relief Agency, called the blockade a collective punishment for the people of Gaza.
“The siege must be cancelled, it must flow to supply, the hostages must be released, and the ceasefire must be restored.”
The conflict was triggered by Hamas' attack on southern Israel, which, according to Israeli records, killed 1,200 people and 251 people.
Since then, local health authorities have reported that more than 51,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive.
