Palestinians in Gaza are waiting to see if there will be a pause in fighting to allow a polio vaccination campaign to begin, as fighting rages across the besieged enclave, killing at least 20 people, Reuters reports.

The United Nations is preparing to vaccinate an estimated 640,000 children in Gaza, where the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed on August 23 that at least one baby has been paralysed by the type 2 poliovirus, the first such case in the territory in 25 years.

The UN, which called for a humanitarian truce earlier this month, hopes to begin the vaccination campaign on September 1, said Juliette Touma, communications director of UNRWA, the UN Palestinian refugee agency.

The Who named the baby as Abdul-Rahman Abu Al-Jidyan. He will turn one year old on Sept 1.

His mother Nivin Abu Al-Jidyan said she feared for her son after she was told by health officials they could do little to help him.

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