Gaza family mourns children killed in Israeli strikes amid UN polio campaign

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By Ramadan Abed

GAZA (Reuters) -Holding his teddy bear, Gazan mother Asmaa al-Wasifi mourned her 10-year-old son, who was killed in an Israeli strike before he could take his second polio shot.

The United Nations began the second round of its polio campaign in central areas of the enclave on Monday, though many Gazans said the effort was futile given the ongoing Israeli campaign to crush Hamas.

“The time for second vaccine was here, but the (Israeli) occupation did not let them live to continue their lives and their childhood,” said Asmaa, crying as she went through her son’s clothes and school books.

Yamen, along with four of his cousins – the oldest of whom was 10 – were killed when Israel hit their family home on Sept. 24 in the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza.

The children had received their first polio vaccines three weeks earlier in a UN campaign that prompted rare daily pauses of fighting between Israel and Hamas militants in pre-specified areas.

The campaign began after a baby was partially paralysed by the type-2 polio virus in August, in the first such case in the territory in 25 years.

Yamen’s grandmother Zakeya, who lost at least 10 of her family members, called for the war that has ravaged the tiny enclave of 2.3 million people for more than a year to end.

“We don’t want any drinks or any aid. We want them to give us safety and security – for the war to end,” she said.

Efforts to secure a ceasefire so far have faltered, with Israel and Hamas unable to agree on key demands.

Her son Osama, 35, said his wife’s body was unrecognisable after the strike that also killed their four children.

The children had just had fresh haircuts to get ready for school, he added.

“They were happy like butterflies… Ten minutes later, the targeting happened. I found them all in pieces,” he said.

(Reporting by Ramadan Abed in Gaza, Writing by Nayera Abdallah; Editing by Sharon Singleton)