Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned on Tuesday that Israel is blocking the entry of essential medical and nutritional supplies into Gaza, including vaccination syringes and infant formula, hampering relief efforts in the war-affected enclave.
UNICEF is conducting a large-scale vaccination campaign for children under three amid the fragile ceasefire, but the organization faces serious challenges in delivering 1.6 million syringes and solar-powered refrigerators needed to store vaccines. The supplies have been awaiting entry permits since August.
Ricardo Pérez, UNICEF spokesperson, said, “Israel considers syringes and refrigerators as dual-use items. Obtaining customs clearance and passing inspections has been extremely difficult, even though these supplies are essential for children’s health.”
The term “dual-use” refers to materials that Israel views as having potential civilian and military applications.
Israeli Authorities Respond
Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the military body overseeing humanitarian access to Gaza, said that it does not restrict syringes or cooling equipment necessary for vaccinations. For dual-use items, the office emphasized caution to ensure Hamas does not divert aid for military purposes and claimed it offers “alternative solutions” to allow essential supplies in, without providing further details.
COGAT added that hundreds of trucks carrying food, water, fuel, medicine, medical equipment, tents, and shelter materials enter Gaza daily, coordinated closely with the United Nations.
Vaccination Campaign Underway
UNICEF launched the first of three rounds of catch-up vaccinations on Sunday, targeting more than 40,000 children who missed routine immunizations against polio, measles, and pneumonia during two years of conflict. On the first day, over 2,400 children received multi-dose vaccines.
“The campaign has started, but there are still two more rounds, and we urgently need additional supplies,” Pérez said.
Infant Nutrition Supplies Held Up
UNICEF also reported that Israel continues to prevent the entry of some critical supplies, including 938,000 ready-to-use infant formula bottles and spare parts for water trucks. “This means that nearly one million bottles of formula that could reach malnourished children are still stuck outside Gaza,” Pérez noted.
Although the ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, was expected to allow humanitarian aid to flow freely into the enclave, relief agencies report that the volume entering Gaza remains insufficient to meet the needs of roughly two million residents, many of whom are suffering from malnutrition.
