CAIRO — Officials in Palestine have reported that an Israeli drone strike targeted a clinic in northern Gaza, injuring six individuals, including four children. The Israeli military has denied involvement in the incident.
The reported attack took place on Saturday in northern Gaza, which has faced ongoing encirclement and isolation by Israeli forces for the past year. In recent weeks, Israel has intensified its military operations in the area, resulting in hundreds of casualties and the displacement of tens of thousands of residents.
Due to conflicting reports, it remains unclear what exactly transpired. Israeli troops have conducted raids on hospitals throughout Gaza during the ongoing conflict, alleging that Hamas utilizes these facilities for military purposes, an assertion that Palestinian health officials have refuted.
Dr. Munir al-Boursh, the director general of the Gaza Health Ministry, stated that a drone struck the Sheikh Radwan clinic in Gaza City shortly after a United Nations delegation had visited the site. The World Health Organization and UNICEF, which are collaborating on the polio vaccination distribution, expressed alarm over this purported attack.
“The reports surrounding this incident are particularly troubling, as the Sheikh Radwan Clinic serves as a crucial health point where parents can take their children for vaccinations,” noted Rosalia Bollen, a UNICEF spokesperson. “This alarming strike occurred during a time where a humanitarian pause was still purportedly in effect, despite earlier assurances that the pause would be upheld from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m.”
In response, Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesperson, stated that an initial investigation suggested that the Israeli forces had not conducted any strikes in the area at the time mentioned.
On the same day, a reduced campaign to administer a second dose of the polio vaccine commenced in parts of northern Gaza. This effort had previously been delayed from October 23 due to restricted access, ongoing Israeli bombings, evacuation orders, and lacking guarantees for humanitarian pauses, according to a U.N. statement.
The first dose of the polio vaccine was successfully administered across Gaza in September, although many areas in northern Gaza that are now completely cut off were included in that initial campaign. Health officials indicated that the first round of vaccinations and the distribution of the second dose in central and southern Gaza were effective.
According to the U.N., at least 100,000 individuals have left northern Gaza in recent weeks, making their way to Gaza City. However, around 15,000 children under ten years old remain stranded in northern towns, such as Jabaliya, Beit Lahiya, and Beit Hanoun, due to inaccessibility.
The final phase of the polio vaccination initiative aimed to reach approximately 119,000 children in northern Gaza with a second dose. However, achieving this goal is increasingly unlikely due to significant access issues. Health officials stress that a vaccination coverage of 90% among children in any community is essential to prevent the disease’s spread.
This campaign was sparked following the first incidence of polio in Gaza in 25 years, involving a 10-month-old boy now suffering from paralysis in one leg. The World Health Organization warns that the presence of such a case may indicate the possible existence of many others infected yet asymptomatic.
The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants launched an assault on southern Israel, resulting in approximately 1,200 fatalities, primarily among civilians, and the capture of around 250 individuals. In response, Israeli military operations have claimed the lives of over 43,000 Palestinians, according to health authorities in Gaza, who estimate that more than half of the deceased are women and children, though they do not specify how many were combatants.