First Case of Polio Confirmed in a 10-month-old Child in Gaza

FILE - Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk next a dark streak of sewage flowing into the streets of the southern town of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, July 4, 2024. Health authorities and aid agencies are racing to avert an outbreak of polio in the Gaza Strip after the virus was detected in the territory's wastewater and three cases with a suspected polio symptom have been reported. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi, File)
FILE - Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk next a dark streak of sewage flowing into the streets of the southern town of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, July 4, 2024. Health authorities and aid agencies are racing to avert an outbreak of polio in the Gaza Strip after the virus was detected in the territory's wastewater and three cases with a suspected polio symptom have been reported. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi, File)
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First Case of Polio Confirmed in a 10-month-old Child in Gaza

FILE - Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk next a dark streak of sewage flowing into the streets of the southern town of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, July 4, 2024. Health authorities and aid agencies are racing to avert an outbreak of polio in the Gaza Strip after the virus was detected in the territory's wastewater and three cases with a suspected polio symptom have been reported. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi, File)
FILE - Palestinians displaced by the Israeli air and ground offensive on the Gaza Strip walk next a dark streak of sewage flowing into the streets of the southern town of Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, July 4, 2024. Health authorities and aid agencies are racing to avert an outbreak of polio in the Gaza Strip after the virus was detected in the territory's wastewater and three cases with a suspected polio symptom have been reported. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi, File)

Palestinian health officials on Friday reported the first case of polio in an unvaccinated 10-month-old child in the Gaza city of Deir al-Balah, the first case in years in the coastal enclave that has been engulfed in the Israel-Hamas war since Oct. 7, The Associated Press reported.

After discovering the child's symptoms, tests were conducted in Jordan’s capital of Amman and the case was confirmed to be polio, the health officials said.

The potentially fatal, paralyzing disease mostly strikes children under the age of 5 and typically spreads through contaminated water. Pakistan and Afghanistan are the only countries where the spread of polio has never been stopped.

The World Health Organization did not immediately respond to requests to confirm the case. However, UN health and children’s agencies have called for seven-day pauses in the fighting, starting at the end of August, to vaccinate 640,000 Palestinian children against polio.

They said the polio virus had been discovered in wastewater in two major cities last month in Gaza, which has been polio-free for the last 25 years, according to the United Nations.

The humanitarian community has warned of the re-emergence of polio since the latest war erupted when Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7. Israel’s devastating retaliatory offensive has killed more than 40,000 people in Gaza in the 10-month-long conflict and created a dire humanitarian situation, which health officials say has created a public health emergency.

In July, WHO said a variant of type 2 was discovered in wastewater samples from southern Khan Younis and central Deir al-Balah, linked to a variant of the polio virus last detected in Egypt last year.

While WHO did not confirm the polio case, it said earlier on Friday that three children in Gaza were found with acute flaccid paralysis — the onset of weakness or paralysis with reduced muscle tone, a common symptom of polio.

The children's stool samples have been sent for testing to the Jordan National Polio Laboratory, the agency said.

More than 1.6 million doses of the polio vaccine are expected to arrive in Gaza by the end of August, WHO said, in time for the vaccination campaigns which would have to be conducted in two rounds. Children under 10 will be given two drops of the oral vaccine against type 2 of the polio virus.

Health officials in Gaza warned they would not be able to stop the spread of polio and treat people without an urgent ceasefire in place. The stark warning came as international mediators expressed hope that a ceasefire deal is within reach.

Two days of talks had wrapped up in Qatar on Friday, the mediators said, adding that they plan to reconvene in Cairo next week to seal an agreement to stop the fighting.

The mediators have spent months trying to hammer out a three-phase plan in which Hamas would release the hostages in exchange for a lasting ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.



Is Sinwar Really Leading Hamas from Underground?

Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on Oct. 28, 2019 (Reuters)
Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on Oct. 28, 2019 (Reuters)
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Is Sinwar Really Leading Hamas from Underground?

Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on Oct. 28, 2019 (Reuters)
Yahya Sinwar in Gaza on Oct. 28, 2019 (Reuters)

Hamas’ recent appointment of Yahya Sinwar as its leader has raised questions about his ability to guide the Palestinian movement during one of the most challenging times in its history.

Sinwar, who is Israel’s top target since the surprise attack on Oct. 7, faces immense pressure as Israeli forces search for him across the Gaza Strip.

Israel claims that Sinwar is hiding in tunnels in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza where he and his family live. But only a small group knows his location.

Since the war began, Sinwar has only appeared in a video released by the Israeli army, showing him in a tunnel a day after the Oct. 7 attack. Since then, he hasn’t been seen or heard from, raising doubts about whether he is still alive and leading Hamas.

Asharq Al-Awsat attempted to gather information about Sinwar’s situation, but the sensitive and complex conditions make even asking questions about him difficult.

Hamas sources in Gaza told Asharq Al-Awsat that no one within the movement knows exactly where Sinwar is, whether inside or outside Gaza. However, a small, trusted group is aware and serves as a link between him and the leadership when needed.

“These few individuals ensure his needs are met and facilitate his communication with the leadership inside and outside Gaza using complex methods,” the sources added.

It is believed that Sinwar’s brother, Mohammed, who is also a senior commander in Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades, is responsible for overseeing Sinwar’s safety and movements.

Some analysts think Sinwar’s brother, who is also a top target for Israel, could lead the brigades if Israel has indeed killed Mohammed Deif.

Despite being out of public view, Sinwar remains actively involved in Hamas. A source confirmed to Asharq Al-Awsat that Sinwar stays in regular contact with the movement's leadership through various means.

Since the war began, Sinwar has sent regular messages about operations and how to handle the challenges brought by the war. These instructions, often handwritten or typed and signed by Sinwar, are delivered secretly.

In addition to written messages, Sinwar has had direct phone contact with Hamas leaders during critical moments. A senior source confirmed that, after arranging secure conditions, Sinwar managed to make phone calls, though these took considerable effort to set up.

The source also revealed that Sinwar sent at least two written messages and one voice recording to intermediaries during key points in the negotiations. He has been closely involved in every stage of the talks, carefully reviewing proposals and discussing them with Hamas leaders.

Contrary to his reputation as a tough negotiator, Sinwar has supported flexibility in several stages of the negotiations, surprising even the intermediaries. He is determined to end the bloodshed and bring the war to a close.

Despite Sinwar’s active role in Hamas, Israel has been unable to locate him, according to sources from Asharq Al-Awsat.

Earlier this year, Israel conducted a three-month operation in Khan Younis, searching for Sinwar both above and below ground, but came up empty-handed. A second attack on the city also failed to find him.

Now, Israel is launching another major operation in Sinwar’s hometown, just days after he was appointed Hamas leader.

Israeli army chief Maj.Gen. Herzi Halevi stated that Sinwar’s appointment as Hamas leader won’t change anything but will speed up efforts to capture him.

Field sources said Israel’s operation in Khan Younis was aimed at punishing civilians for Sinwar’s selection, trying to force them into cooperating to reveal his location.

“They even dropped leaflets urging people to turn against him,” the sources noted.

However, “none of the civilians targeted by Israel know where Sinwar is, or whether he’s above or below ground.”