Israeli military stopped a convoy of employees from various UN agencies under threat of arms, just after Wadi Gaza's roadblock on Monday. They were held for over eight hours before being released, according to UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini.
Following the first confirmed polio case in 25 years, a massive vaccination campaign was launched last week, targeting over 640,000 children in war-torn Gaza. This will be done with the help of local "humanitarian pauses" in the fighting and Israel's military has approved the transports.
The Israeli military stated in a statement that there was intelligence information about "suspected Palestinians" in the convoy, but has otherwise not commented on the matter.
The incident is the latest in a series of violations against UN personnel, according to Lazzarini.
"UN personnel must be allowed to perform their duties in safety and always be protected in accordance with international law. Gaza is no exception", he writes on X.
The vaccination campaign will enter its final phase on Tuesday to Thursday in northern Gaza, according to the World Health Organization WHO. The UN agency appeals to all parties to ensure that the humanitarian pauses are respected, says a spokesperson, according to the news agency AFP.
A necessary second vaccine dose will begin to be distributed in about four weeks.
