Gaza: Strike hits health centre as polio vaccine campaign resumes in ravaged north
November 2, 2024
Gaza City, Gaza Strip – An Israeli airstrike hit a health centre in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday, killing at least five people and injuring dozens more, as a polio vaccine campaign resumed in the war-ravaged area after being suspended for more than a week.
The strike, which occurred around midday local time, targeted the al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, the largest medical facility in the besieged Palestinian enclave. The hospital was crowded with patients and staff at the time of the attack, and many people were trapped inside the building after the airstrike.
The Israeli military claimed that the strike was targeting a Hamas military site located near the hospital, but witnesses and medical staff said that the area hit was a civilian area.
The al-Shifa hospital is one of the few remaining functioning hospitals in Gaza, and the airstrike has caused extensive damage to the facility. The hospital’s emergency room and operating theatre were both destroyed, and several other departments were damaged.
The airstrike comes as a polio vaccine campaign is resuming in the northern Gaza Strip after being suspended for more than a week due to the fighting. The campaign is being carried out by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and it aims to vaccinate more than 200,000 children against the potentially deadly disease.
The polio vaccine campaign was suspended last week after Israeli airstrikes hit a WHO warehouse in the northern Gaza Strip, destroying thousands of doses of the vaccine. The airstrikes also caused extensive damage to the warehouse, making it difficult for WHO staff to access the remaining doses of the vaccine.
The resumption of the polio vaccine campaign is a critical step in preventing the spread of the disease in Gaza. Polio is a highly contagious disease that can cause paralysis and death, and it is particularly dangerous for children.
The airstrike on the al-Shifa hospital is a reminder of the devastating impact that the ongoing conflict in Gaza is having on civilians. The hospital is a vital facility for the people of Gaza, and the airstrike has caused extensive damage to the facility and killed and injured dozens of people.
The airstrike also highlights the need for a ceasefire in Gaza. The conflict has caused immense suffering for the people of Gaza, and it is essential that all parties to the conflict work towards a ceasefire to end the violence and allow for the resumption of normal life.
Gaza: Strike hits health centre as polio vaccine campaign resumes in ravaged north
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