Yesterday, Sunday, the Israeli army announced the launch of a “large-scale vaccination campaign” for all its forces participating in the invasion of the Gaza Strip, in light of the growing threat posed by the polio virus to the lives of people in Gaza, who are deprived of all types of treatment.

The Israeli army said in a statement that it “took samples for examination in various areas (in Gaza) in which traces of the polio virus were found, which is contagious through drinking or oral contact with water.”

He added, "Following the receipt of these indicators, it was decided by the army, in coordination with the Ministry of Health, to vaccinate the maneuvering forces (participating in the invasion of the Gaza Strip) of the virus, in order to preserve the health of the soldiers and the citizens of Israel."

According to the statement, “The Technologies and Logistics Authority has begun a large-scale vaccination campaign for all maneuvering forces, whether regular or reserve, with the vaccines being provided gradually.”

The Israeli army statement pointed out that “soldiers who are not interested in receiving the vaccination will not be obligated to do so.”

Last Thursday, the Israeli Ministry of Health announced that it had found evidence confirming the presence of the polio virus in wastewater samples in the Gaza Strip.

On the other hand, the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip announced, on Thursday, that “tests were conducted on sewage samples in coordination with UNICEF, and the results showed the presence of the virus that causes polio.”
The Ministry stressed that "the presence of the virus that causes polio in the sewage that collects and flows between the tents of the displaced and in the places where residents are located as a result of the destruction of infrastructure, represents a new health disaster."
During the recent period, hundreds of children in northern Gaza were infected with measles, paralysis, and some infectious diseases due to not receiving regular vaccinations.