Agreement consists of temporary pauses in separate areas of Gaza with goal of vaccinating 640,000 children under 10.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says it has received a “preliminary commitment” allowing for temporary “humanitarian pauses” in Gaza to distribute polio vaccines as deteriorating conditions caused by Israel’s war fuel the spread of disease and illness throughout the besieged strip.

Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the Palestinian territory, said on Thursday that the three pauses will take place from 6am to 3pm (03:00 to 12:00 GMT) and last for three days each in different areas of Gaza, beginning on Sunday.

“I’m not going to say this is the ideal way forward. But this is a workable way forward,” Peeperkorn said. “It will happen and should happen because we have an agreement.”

Humanitarian and medical groups said Israel’s nearly 11-month assault on Gaza has displaced almost the entire population and created unsanitary conditions that have allowed the proliferation of diseases.

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