Israeli military strikes across the Gaza Strip killed at least 27 Palestinians on Friday, according to local medical sources, while health officials resumed a critical polio vaccination campaign for tens of thousands of children in the embattled enclave.
In Nuseirat refugee camp, an Israeli airstrike claimed the lives of two women and two children. Eight others were killed in two separate airstrikes in Gaza City, with additional casualties reported from subsequent strikes across the territory.
Israeli forces continued to engage in battles with Hamas-led militants in several areas, including the Zeitoun suburb of Gaza City, eastern neighborhoods of Khan Younis, and Rafah near the Egyptian border. Residents in Rafah reported that Israeli forces demolished multiple houses.
As the conflict enters its eleventh month, diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire and facilitate the release of hostages have yet to yield results. The United States is preparing to present a new ceasefire proposal, but significant gaps remain between the warring parties.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Thursday that while nearly 90% of a Gaza ceasefire deal has been agreed upon, critical issues remain unresolved. One major point of contention is the Philadelphi corridor along Gaza’s southern border with Egypt, which Israel insists on controlling while Hamas demands its withdrawal.
Amid the ongoing violence, health officials have resumed a crucial polio vaccination campaign. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported that at least 160,000 children received vaccine doses in southern Gaza on Thursday, marking the second stage of the campaign.
Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s Director of Communications, praised the progress but emphasized that temporary pauses in fighting are not a substitute for a full ceasefire. The vaccination effort aims to reach approximately 640,000 children under 10 years old across the Gaza Strip.
The campaign was launched after the discovery of a polio case in a one-year-old child, the first known instance in Gaza in 25 years. The reemergence of the disease highlights the collapse of Gaza’s health system due to the prolonged conflict.
The war, triggered by Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages, has resulted in over 40,800 Palestinian deaths, according to the local health ministry. The United Nations reports that about 1.9 million people — 90% of Gaza’s population — have been internally displaced, with many forced to relocate multiple times.
REUTERS
