RAMALLAH, Palestine 

Vaccines for children started entering the Gaza Strip via the Rafah border crossing for the first time since the outbreak of the Israeli war on the enclave on Oct. 7, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced Monday. 

These vaccines were purchased by the Palestinian government, in addition to donations from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Health Minister Mai al-Kaila said in a statement.

“The Egyptian Health Ministry had previously approved the use of the cooling units on the Egyptian side to store the vaccines until their delivery into Gaza,” she added.

“The delivery process was carried out in accordance with the international standards for vaccine storage under the UNICEF supervision.”

She noted that "this comes amid the critical epidemiological situation caused by the Israeli war on the enclave."

The shipment that entered the Gaza Strip includes vaccines for polio, measles, rubella, and mumps, and sufficient for a period ranging from 8 to 14 months.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio