The Israeli military has dismissed claims that it hit a clinic in northern Gaza on Saturday, where health workers were vaccinating children for polio. The Health Ministry of Gaza reported an Israeli attack hitting the Sheikh Radwan clinic, injuring four children in a short pause for humanitarian reasons aimed at vaccination. Instead, Israeli forces denied the claim, saying that an early investigation showed that no military exercise was conducted in the said area during the time.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, the clinic came under attack as families led their children for polio vaccinations. Four children are reported injured, derailing an important health campaign on a window of ceasefire. The IDF responded with, “preliminary findings indicate that no strikes happened in the area at that time,” directly contradicting the Gaza Health Ministry.

WHO Chief Urges Compliance to Ceasefire

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus commented on the incident, calling for respect of humanitarian pauses: “These essential pauses specifically in humanitarian areas must be respected. Ceasefire!” he wrote on his social media page. Just days after a WHO team visited the clinic, something that underlines the urgency of ensuring safe access to health care in a situation with rising tensions.

The Israeli army has also alleged that Hamas has utilized the clinic as a launching point for its militant operations, and Hamas has denied the accusations. The IDF said it has found evidence of instances where Hamas frequently conducted its operations in civilian territory so that its troops could stay hidden, which Hamas rejects. Independent verification of such claims has been impossible due to restricted area access and intermittent communication.(More)

Health Concerns Mount Amid Conflict

The reported strike has fueled concern about the health crisis unfolding in Gaza, which is further restricted in terms of humanitarian operations. According to local and international health organizations, interruptions in vaccination campaigns, in addition to access restrictions to medical facilities, may trigger outbreaks of preventable diseases such as polio. The hostilities have stretched healthcare resources and made civilians, particularly children, susceptible to injuries both from conflict and worsening public health conditions.