Polio Vaccination Campaign in North Gaza Postponed

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Facts

  • The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday said that Israeli bombardment, the mass displacement of Palestinians, and a lack of access have paused a polio vaccination campaign in northern Gaza. The first round of vaccinations started in September.[1]
  • Israel said Wednesday that the WHO's second round of vaccinations reached 266,273 children under the age of 10 in southern Gaza, representing 91% of the target population of the area. It added that the vaccine campaign in northern Gaza 'will begin in the coming days.'[2]
  • Meanwhile, the Israeli military Wednesday claimed that 20K Palestinian civilians had successfully fled Jabalia. Gaza's health ministry said that almost 800 Palestinians had been killed in Jabalia in the last 19 days. Israel launched an offensive into the area at the beginning of October.[3][4]
  • Also, Israel launched strikes on the Lebanese port city of Tyre in the country's south Wednesday after it issued evacuation orders for several central neighborhoods of the city. The strikes hit near the city's UNESCO World Heritage-listed Roman ruins. A Lebanese official said around 14K people remain in the city.[5]
  • In addition, Hezbollah confirmed the death of Hashem Safieddine, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike earlier this month. He had been seen as a likely successor to the group's slain leader Hassan Nasrallah. Even with a large number of its leadership now dead, Hezbollah has continued firing rockets into Israel.[6][7]
  • This comes as US Sec. of State Antony Blinken on Wednesday traveled to Saudi Arabia to discuss the situation in Gaza and Lebanon, meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Blinken reportedly emphasized 'the need to end the war in Gaza, free the hostages, and enable the people of Gaza to rebuild their lives free from Hamas.'[8]

Sources: [1]Reuters (a), [2]Timesofisrael (a), [3]Timesofisrael (b), [4]Al Jazeera, [5]BBC News, [6]New York Times, [7]Reuters (b) and [8]Alarabiya.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by New York Times. Though the situation in the region continues to escalate, the US has stood firm in its role as a mediator. Israel has every right to respond to the daily terror attacks it has seen since Oct. 7, 2023. However, it's in no one's interest for tensions to explode into a wider regional war. The US will continue to work toward regional stability.
  • Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Hamas continues to use Gaza's civilian population as human shields as it increasingly converts schools and hospitals into command and control centers. Indeed, Hamas is solely to blame for the destruction of Gaza and its impact on the civilian population, as it started this terrible war with the massacres of Oct. 7. Israel will continue to pacify the group and confront its regional enemies.
  • Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. Israel is bombing several countries in the Middle East yet it continues to play the victim. As it commits genocide in Gaza and works to destroy Lebanon — all in the name of 'remaking the Middle East' — it will only create more problems for itself. Israel's aggression is only strengthening the resolve of its enemies and pushing the civilian population into its enemies' arms.
  • Narrative D, as provided by Almayadeen. Hezbollah and Lebanon have experienced immense suffering for supporting Palestine against Israel's genocidal actions, yet the group will continue its noble fight. Hezbollah is ready and able to defend Lebanon from Israeli aggression and its attacks will end when Israel withdraws from Gaza.

Predictions