At least 48 people were killed in Gaza on Saturday as Israeli airstrikes targeted the strip, causing clashes in various areas. The violence comes just ahead of the planned start of a polio vaccination campaign by the United Nations, creating challenges for health authorities as they aim to reach the population of 640,000 children in the territory.

The goal of the vaccination campaign is to protect children from polio, with the United Nations relying on daily eight-hour pauses in fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants in specific areas of the besieged enclave. However, Yousef Abu Al-Reesh, Gaza's deputy minister of health, stated that only a comprehensive ceasefire would guarantee adequate coverage of children in the vaccination campaign.

Speaking to reporters at Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis, Al-Reesh emphasized the importance of a ceasefire, stating, "If the international community truly wants this campaign to succeed, it should call for a ceasefire, knowing that this virus does not stop and can reach anywhere."

In preparation for the official campaign, medical professionals administered vaccines to children at Nasser Hospital wards on Saturday. This comes after the confirmation of a baby being partially paralyzed by the type 2 polio virus, marking the first case in Gaza in 25 years. World Health Organization officials have emphasized that at least 90% of children need to receive the vaccine twice, with a four-week interval between doses, for the campaign to be effective.

Unfortunately, the vaccination campaign faces significant challenges in Gaza, which has been heavily impacted by almost a year of war. The territory has been largely destroyed, making it difficult for medical teams to reach all areas effectively.

As the campaign preparations were underway, Israeli strikes claimed the lives of at least 19 people, including nine members of the same family, in the Nuseirat refugee camp. Medics reported that more than 30 others were killed in strikes across different areas of Gaza. Clashes also erupted in the northern Gaza Zeitoun neighborhood and near the border with Egypt in Rafah, with fighters from Hamas, the Islamic Jihad, and other groups engaged in conflict with Israeli forces.

The Israeli military confirmed its ongoing operations in central and southern Gaza, stating that militants were killed and military infrastructure was dismantled. In Khan Younis, families returned to their devastated areas as the army ended a 22-day offensive aimed at preventing Hamas from regrouping. However, footage revealed extensive destruction, with numerous buildings and infrastructure reduced to rubble.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has spanned decades, was reignited on October 7 when Hamas fighters launched an attack on Israel, resulting in about 1,200 deaths and the taking of approximately 250 hostages, according to Israeli reports. In response, Israel launched a sustained assault on the Hamas-governed enclave, causing the deaths of over 40,600 Palestinians, as reported by the local health ministry. The conflict has displaced nearly the entire population of 2.3 million in Gaza and exacerbated a hunger crisis in the enclave. Israel has repeatedly denied the allegations of genocide that they face at the World Court.

Meanwhile, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces continued their military operation in the city of Jenin, with drones and helicopters overhead and sporadic gunfire echoing through the area.

As the violence persists, the urgent need for a ceasefire and a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict becomes increasingly evident. The international community must come together to ensure the safety and well-being of all those affected by the ongoing turmoil.