United Nations agencies together with Palestinian health authorities yesterday began a large-scale campaign of vaccinations against polio in the Gaza Strip.

Israel and Hamas agreed to brief pauses in their 11-month war to allow it to go ahead after a first case of the virus in 25 years was registered in the enclave.

The highly infectious virus is transmitted through contaminated water or food, or contact with an infected person.

The immunisation campaign began in central Gaza and will move to other areas in coming days. Fighting will pause for at least eight hours on three consecutive days.

The vaccinations will be administered at roughly 160 sites across the territory, including medical centresand schools.

Children under 10 will receive two drops of oral polio vaccine in two rounds, the second to be administered four weeks after the first