Israel Agrees to Humanitarian Pauses in Fighting in Gaza for Polio Vaccinations: WHO

The three-day pauses will start on Sept. 1 from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time to allow polio vaccination campaigns in Gaza.

A sign of the World Health Organization (WHO) at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Dec. 7, 2021. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

Israel has agreed to area-specific humanitarian pauses in its military operations in Gaza to allow polio vaccination campaigns to occur, a senior official at the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the West Bank and Gaza, said the agency received a preliminary commitment from Israel’s civilian coordination agency (COGAT) for humanitarian pauses in the enclave.