Palestinians say Israel struck Gaza clinic during polio campaign; Army denies it

Associated Press Cairo Palestinian officials s ay an Israeli drone strike on a clinic in northern Gaza where children were being vaccinated for polio wounded six people, including four children. The Israeli military denied responsibility. The alleged strike occurred Saturday in northern Gaza, which has been encircled by Israeli forces and largely isolated for the past year. Israel has been carrying out another offensive there in recent weeks that has killed hundreds of people and displaced tens of thousands. It was not possible to resolve the conflicting accounts. Israeli forces have repeatedly raided hospitals in Gaza over the course of the war, saying Hamas uses them for militant purposes, allegations denied by Palestinian health officials.

Dr. Munir al-Boursh, director general of the Gaza Health Ministry, told The Associated Press that a quadcopter struck the Sheikh Radwan clinic in Gaza City early Saturday afternoon, just a few minutes after a United Nations delegation left the facility. The World Health Organisation and the UN children's agency, known as UNICEF, which are jointly carrying out the polio vaccination campaign, expressed concern over the reported strike. “The reports of this attack are even more disturbing as the Sheikh Radwan Clinic is one of the health points where parents can get their children vaccinated," said Rosalia Bollen, a spokesperson for UNICEF. “Today's attack occurred while the humanitarian pause was still in effect, despite assurances given that the pause would be respected from 6 am to 4 pm.”