Israeli soldiers will be provided polio vaccines, which will be available to possibly half of Gaza's population, the Israel Defense Forces said Sunday after remnants of the highly contagious virus were found in wastewater testing in the embattled territory.
The discovery of a virus that can cause paralysis further threatens the 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, who have been subjected to repeated bombardments and are contending with food and water scarcity, deteriorating health conditions and a severely damaged infrastructure after more than nine months of Israel's war with Hamas.
The Gaza Health Ministry announced the discovery of polio last week, and it was confirmed by the World Health Organization, whose leader said six environmental samples were found in the southern city of Khan Younis and the central city of Deir al Balah.