O B S: Agreement for brief pauses in Gaza for polio vaccine

A baby was infected with late polio, becoming the first confirmed case with this disease in the last 25 years on Palestinian territory.

The vaccine campaign, described as “humanitarian pauses”, will last from three days to different parts of Gaza and start Sunday in central Gaza, said Rick Peeperkorn, O representative. BSH for Palestinian territories.

After the end of the first phase, the second phase will begin in southern Israel, where there will be fighting cuts for three days, while the third phase will take place in northern Gaza, he said.

He indicated that disruptions in fighting will last between eight and nine hours a day.

Peeperkorn said the goal is to vaccinate 640,000 children under the age of 10 and that the vaccine campaign has been co-ordinated with Israeli authorities.

O The BSH has said 90 percent of the children in Gaza should be vaccinated to prevent polio spread.

We need this pause. We have agreements on this and we expect all parties to adhere to it”, he said.

These humanitarian causes are not a truce between Israel and Hamas the Palestinian group declared terrorist organisations by the United States and the European Union.

US, Egyptian and Qatar mediators have long been seeking to reach a ceasefire agreement. Talks are continuing this week.

Hamas is “ready to co-operate with international organisations to secure this” campaign, said Basem Naim, member of Hamas' political office. /rel