Israel blocks polio vaccines, endangers over 600,000 children in Gaza: Health Ministry

An Israeli blockade on the entry of polio vaccines into Gaza leaves the lives of over 600,000 Palestinian children at risk, the Health Ministry said on Tuesday.

“The blocking of the entry of vaccines is hampering efforts to implement the fourth phase of a campaign to enhance polio prevention,” the ministry said in a statement.

"More than 602,000 children face the risk of permanent paralysis and chronic disabilities unless vaccines are allowed immediately," it appealed.

The ministry said that Gaza's children confront “unprecedented and severe health complications due to the complete absence of proper nutrition and safe drinking water."

In August 2024, Gaza's Health Ministry confirmed the first polio case in the territory in a 10-month-old child.

The discovery prompted the first vaccination campaign amid Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which was carried out in three phases starting in September.

According to health officials, the first phase, completed on Sept. 12, immunized over 560,000 Palestinian children. The second phase concluded on Nov. 7, vaccinating 556,774 children under 10 years old across the Gaza Strip. A third phase was conducted in February, vaccinating 590,000 children.

The UN says children in Gaza require two doses of the oral polio vaccine for adequate protection.

Since March 2, Israel has closed Gaza's crossings, blocking essential supplies from entering the enclave despite multiple reports of famine in the war-devastated territory. The Israeli army resumed its assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering a Jan. 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement.

Israel has killed more than 51,200 Palestinians in the enclave since October 2023, most of them women and children.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.