THE ISRAELI MILITARY is to begin vaccinating its soldiers operating in Gaza against polio after high levels of the disease were found in sewage samples in the Palestinian territory. 

Following the discovery of the poliovirus in samples of sewage in Gaza, the Israeli military (IDF) said it will launch “a broad vaccination operation for all ground troops, both regular and reserves,” while they are on leave in Israel. 

The Israeli bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip has left most of the territory’s infrastructure destroyed and in some areas raw sewage has been flowing in the streets. 

Waste water also runs in between tents in many camps for the displaced and fresh water is increasingly scarce.

UN agencies said this week that the Global Polio Laboratory Network found type-2 poliovirus in six environmental samples collected on 23 June. Israel’s health ministry said it had made similar findings. No human cases have been reported.

The IDF said it was working with other organisations to take vaccines for the Gaza population into the territory. It said that 300,000 vaccines have so far been supplied.

The highly contagious virus is caught by drinking contaminated water or through oral contact. It can cause paralysis and in extreme cases death.

With fuel limited, aid agencies rarely send out trucks with water and pumps at wells cannot be used. Many people walk long distances to get safe water from points set up by volunteers.

Northern Gaza is suffering particularly badly from food and water shortages after major Israeli offensives and restrictions on aid deliveries.

Ahmed Al-Shanbari, a father living in a camp in Jabalia said the water his family has “is not suitable for drinking or cooking.”

“My children suffer from kidney disease, jaundice, itching and coughing. There is no treatment in northern Gaza,” he said.

Shanbari said the family spends four hours each day searching for a source of water.

The IDF said it had decided with the health ministry “that troops operating in the area should undergo vaccination against the virus to maintain the health of both the soldiers and Israeli citizens.”

It said vaccinations would be carried out as troops are “refreshed” in and out of Gaza.

There are about 170,000 full-time soldiers and another 300,000 reservists in the Israeli army.

With reporting from AFP