GAZA CITY, Palestine

Israel refused to coordinate the entry of medical teams for polio vaccination east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry in the enclave said on Thursday.

“This area contains a large percentage of the target group of children,” the ministry added in a statement.

The ministry appealed to relevant institutions “to urgently intervene to ensure the success of the vaccination campaign by reaching all children wherever they are.”

The second phase of a polio vaccination campaign for Palestinian children in southern Gaza began on Thursday.

More than 189,000 children were vaccinated in the first phase of the campaign in central Gaza.

“We started today the second phase of the polio vaccination campaign in Khan Younis city,” Dr. Abdul Hadi Seyam told Anadolu.

"The campaign targets children under the age of ten, and there is significant interest from parents in vaccinating their children against this serious disease,” Seyam added.

He further noted that medical teams are working with all their capabilities to vaccinate as many children as possible in the strip.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 40,800 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed and nearly 94,300 others injured, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of the enclave has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala