Israel has agreed to temporary ceasefires in Gaza to allow for a polio vaccination campaign targeting 640,000 children. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations are collaborating with Israeli authorities to carry out the vaccinations in three parts of the coastal strip.
The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has proposed sanctions against Israeli ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir for their inflammatory remarks against Palestinians. The EU member states are divided on whether to implement these sanctions.
The Israeli military has killed several militants in a large-scale operation in the occupied West Bank, including a local commander from the Islamic Jihad group. Israel has also conducted an airstrike on a humanitarian aid convoy in Gaza, claiming that it was aimed at armed assailants attempting to hijack the convoy.
However, the charity organizing the aid has stated that the people killed in the strike were employees of the transport company. Israel has apologized for firing at a clearly marked World Food Programme vehicle, attributing the incident to a communication error.
The UN has called for an investigation and measures to prevent such incidents in the future. These developments come amidst ongoing violence and tensions in the region.
