Palestinians say Israel struck a Gaza clinic during a polio campaign. The army denies it

CAIRO -- Palestinian officials opportunity an Israeli drone onslaught connected a session successful bluish Gaza wherever children were being vaccinated for polio wounded six people, including 4 children. The Israeli subject denied responsibility.

The alleged onslaught occurred Saturday successful bluish Gaza, which has been encircled by Israeli forces and mostly isolated for nan past year. Israel has been carrying retired different offensive location successful caller weeks that has killed hundreds of group and displaced tens of thousands.

It was not imaginable to resoluteness nan conflicting accounts. Israeli forces have many times raided hospitals successful Gaza complete nan people of nan war, saying Hamas uses them for militant purposes, allegations denied by Palestinian wellness officials.

Dr. Munir al-Boursh, head wide of nan Gaza Health Ministry, told The Associated Press that a quadcopter struck nan Sheikh Radwan session successful Gaza City early Saturday afternoon, conscionable a fewer minutes aft a United Nations delegation near nan facility.

The World Health Organization and nan U.N. children's agency, known arsenic UNICEF, which are jointly carrying retired nan polio vaccination campaign, expressed interest complete nan reported strike.

“The reports of this onslaught are moreover much disturbing arsenic nan Sheikh Radwan Clinic is 1 of nan wellness points wherever parents tin get their children vaccinated," said Rosalia Bollen, a spokesperson for UNICEF.

“Today’s onslaught occurred while nan humanitarian region was still successful effect, contempt assurances fixed that nan region would beryllium respected from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.”

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli subject spokesman, said that “contrary to nan claims, an first reappraisal wished that nan (Israeli military) did not onslaught successful nan area astatine nan specified time.”

A scaled-down run to administer a 2nd dose of nan polio vaccine began Saturday successful parts of bluish Gaza. It had been postponed from Oct. 23 owed to deficiency of access, Israeli bombings and wide removal orders, and nan deficiency of assurances for humanitarian pauses, a U.N. connection said.

The management of nan first dose was carried retired successful September crossed nan Gaza Strip, including areas of bluish Gaza that are now wholly sealed off. Health officials said nan campaign's first round, and nan management of nan 2nd dose crossed cardinal and confederate Gaza, were successful.

At slightest 100,000 group person been forced to evacuate from areas of northbound Gaza toward Gaza City successful nan past fewer weeks, but astir 15,000 children nether nan property of 10 stay successful bluish towns, including Jabaliya, Beit Lahiya and Beit Hanoun, which are inaccessible, according to nan U.N.

The last shape of nan polio vaccination run had aimed to scope an estimated 119,000 children successful nan northbound pinch a 2nd dose of oral polio vaccine, nan agencies said, but “achieving this target is now improbable owed to entree constraints.”

They opportunity 90% of children successful each organization must beryllium vaccinated to forestall nan dispersed of nan disease.

The run was launched aft the first polio case was reported successful Gaza successful 25 years — a 10-month-old boy, now paralyzed successful nan leg. The World Health Organization said nan beingness of a paralysis lawsuit indicates location could beryllium hundreds much who person been infected but aren’t showing symptoms.

The warfare began connected Oct. 7, 2023, erstwhile Hamas-led militants stormed into confederate Israel, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting different 250. Israel’s violative has killed complete 43,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza wellness authorities, who do not opportunity really galore were combatants but opportunity much than half were women and children.

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