Egyptian sources, who spoke to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, expected a humanitarian truce in Gaza to begin within days to implement a polio vaccination campaign.

Hamas spokesman Jihad Taha confirmed today, Thursday, that "the movement has agreed to a seven-day humanitarian truce since it was announced by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on August 16, with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) to carry out a vaccination campaign." This came in his interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper.

Taha told the newspaper that Hamas "calls on all humanitarian organizations and bodies to carry out their humanitarian duty towards the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and the occupation must agree to this and not evade or procrastinate and put in place alternatives by specifying places to start the vaccination process and not committing to any humanitarian truce."

He added: "Therefore, Hamas calls on the United Nations, the international community, and all humanitarian organizations to carry out their humanitarian and relief duty towards our people, and expose the inhumane practices of the occupation, especially its attempts to thwart the project to begin the vaccination process for about 640,000 children under the age of ten, in addition to 50 children born after October 7, 2023."

Egyptian sources, who spoke to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, expected a humanitarian truce in Gaza to begin within days to implement a polio vaccination campaign.

These sources explained that "the expected truce will last from three to five days during daylight hours, and will not include areas where the Israeli occupation army forces are present. The same sources indicated that the truce for vaccinating children was discussed in Cairo during the visit of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken."

Five days ago, private sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that, in light of the stumbling of negotiations to reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip, mediators began working to reach a humanitarian truce ranging from four days to a week to meet humanitarian needs and bring in polio vaccinations and hygiene materials in light of the spread of many diseases among the displaced and the fear of an epidemic spreading in the Strip.