On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of at least 48 individuals in the Gaza Strip, as reported by Palestinian health officials. Meanwhile, clashes erupted in various parts of the region just before the anticipated launch of a polio vaccination drive.

The United Nations plans to vaccinate approximately 640,000 children in the area against polio, depending on the temporary pauses in combat between Israeli forces and Hamas militants that are intended to last for eight hours daily in designated parts of the besieged territory.

Yousef Abu Al-Reesh, the deputy health minister of Gaza, stated that vaccination teams aim to reach as many locations as they can to provide broad coverage but emphasized that a full ceasefire is essential to guarantee that many children can be vaccinated.

“For the international community to genuinely support this vaccination effort, it’s crucial to call for a ceasefire. The virus doesn’t pause and can spread anywhere,” he expressed to reporters at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.

On Saturday, some medical personnel administered vaccines to children in the wards of Nasser Hospital as a preliminary gesture before the official vaccination campaign kicks off.

The initiative comes after it was reported last week that a baby had suffered partial paralysis due to the type 2 polio virus, marking the first case in the region in 25 years.

Officials from the WHO highlight that for the vaccination effort to be successful, at least 90% of children need to receive two doses spaced four weeks apart, but achieving that in Gaza poses significant challenges due to the extensive devastation from nearly 11 months of conflict.

On the same day, while over 2,000 healthcare and community workers geared up for the vaccination campaign, medics in Nuseirat reported that additional Israeli airstrikes led to the deaths of at least 19 people, nine of whom were from the same family.

Furthermore, medics confirmed that at least 30 other fatalities occurred due to a series of strikes throughout various parts of Gaza.

According to residents and militant sources, clashes took place between fighters from Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and other factions against Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Zeitoun neighborhood, where tanks have been actively operating for several days, and in Rafah, which is close to the border with Egypt.

The Israeli military stated that it continued its operations in the central and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, asserting that troops eliminated militants and dismantled military infrastructure in Gaza City while also locating weapons and killing gunmen in Tel Al-Sultan in western Rafah.

In Khan Younis, citizens returned to their homes following the military’s conclusion of a 22-day offensive intended to curb Hamas’s capabilities. Footage depicted extensive destruction, with many structures and essential services devastated.

Medical personnel reported recovering at least nine bodies from the area impacted by military operations.

This latest surge in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict ignited on October 7, when Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, leading to the deaths of 1,200 individuals and approximately 250 people being taken hostage, as per Israeli sources.

The ongoing military action in response to the Hamas-led attack has resulted in the deaths of over 40,600 Palestinians, as reported by the local health ministry. Nearly the entire population of Gaza, which numbers 2.3 million, has been forcibly displaced, and The region is currently experiencing a severe hunger crisis. Israel is facing accusations of genocide at the World Court, which it has denied.

In the occupied area of the West Bank, Israeli forces have continued a military operation in Jenin city. Drones and helicopters are flying overhead, and occasional gunfire can be heard throughout the city.

(Reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi in Cairo and Mohammed Salem in Gaza; Editing by Angus MacSwan)