More than 591,000 children under 10 years old in Gaza will receive polio vaccines in a five-day campaign starting this weekend, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced in a news release.

The campaign follows the recent detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples, confirming that the infection is still circulating in the war-ravaged enclave and putting thousands of children at risk.

WHO warned that the severely deteriorated sanitary conditions in Gaza—including overcrowded shelters and damaged water and sewer networks—have created ideal conditions for the virus to spread.

"Individuals with low or no immunity provide the virus an opportunity to continue spreading and potentially cause disease," WHO said.

Additionally, the mass movement of people returning to northern and southern Gaza during the ceasefire is likely to increase the risk of polio transmission, the agency added.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health is leading the vaccination drive with support from WHO, UNICEF, UNRWA, and other international partners. WHO emphasized that polio vaccines are safe and that there is no maximum number of doses a child can receive, with each dose providing extra protection. A second round of vaccinations is planned for April.

Meanwhile, humanitarian agencies are working to restore access to clean water across Gaza. According to UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, there are now over 1,780 operational water points, with 85% supporting water trucking operations.

Aid partners are also deploying mobile teams and volunteers at distribution points to ensure vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities, can access humanitarian assistance safely. More than 100 such teams are operating at nearly 70 distribution sites.

In the occupied West Bank, Israeli military operations in northern areas continue to cause widespread destruction and displacement.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israeli forces demolished at least five homes in the Tulkarm refugee camp on Tuesday, with several more properties marked for demolition.

The latest escalation in the West Bank has further deepened the humanitarian crisis, with Palestinian families forced to flee their homes as Israeli military operations intensify. (ILKHA)