The Palestinian Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip revealed that a new health crisis unfolded in the bombarded Gaza Strip with the detection of poliovirus in sewage.
According to the ministry, tests were conducted on sewage samples in coordination with UNICEF, and the results showed the presence of the virus that causes poliomyelitis.
“Detecting the virus that causes polio in sewage portends a real health disaster and exposes thousands of residents to the risk of contracting poliomyelitis,” the ministry said in a statement.
The ministry warned that the detection of the virus in sewage puts thousands of residents at risk of contracting polio.
It called for an immediate halt to the Israeli aggression, providing potable water, repairing sewage lines, and ending population crowding in places of displacement.
Poliomyelitis is an infectious viral disease that affects the central nervous system and can cause temporary or permanent paralysis.
According to the World Health Organization, the escalation of hostilities by Israel in Gaza has led to a continuous rise in deaths and injuries, severe overcrowding in shelters, and the disruption of health, water, and sewage systems, which could accelerate the spread of infectious diseases.
Since October 7, 2023, the IOF has been waging a devastating war on the Gaza Strip, resulting in catastrophic humanitarian and health conditions, due to the continuous bombing and the prevention of supplies of food, water, medicine, and electricity.
The Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights, as it exposes the lives and property of civilians to extreme danger, which requires urgent intervention from the international community to stop the aggression and protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.
This international community must force the IOF to adhere to international laws and treaties on human rights and international humanitarian law. They must be obliged to protect the rights and lives of civilians, prohibit their targeting and preserve their safety, and punish the leaders responsible for committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip and elsewhere.
