Israel Aid

IDF Updates – August 18th

IDF: Initial report – a report was received regarding a terrorist who attacked an Israeli civilian and stole his weapon in the area of Kdumim. IDF soldiers are pursuing the terrorist. Details to follow.


IDF: COGAT: Since the beginning of the war, 282,126 vials of the polio vaccine, sufficient for 2,821,260 doses, have been sent to Gaza; in the coming weeks, an additional 60,000 vaccines will be delivered to vaccinate over one million children

As part of the medical efforts for the Gaza Strip led by the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), the entry to the Gaza Strip of vaccines for disease and epidemic prevention, is being facilitated. This includes the entry of medical teams and vaccines against the polio virus.

Since the beginning of the war, COGAT has coordinated the entry of 282,126 vials of the polio vaccine, sufficient for 2,821,260 doses, into Gaza. Since the discovery of the virus in July, and as part of the vaccination campaign, 9,000 vials were brought through the Kerem Shalom crossing, providing 90,000 additional doses of the vaccine.

In the coming weeks, 43,250 vials of vaccine, tailored to the virus found in environmental samples, are expected to arrive in Israel and will enter the Gaza Strip. This will be sufficient to vaccinate over one million children (in two rounds) – a total of 2,162,500 doses.

COGAT conducts in-depth situational assessments twice a week with the Ministry of Health, the WHO, and UNICEF to understand the status of the spread of the virus in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, specific meetings are held to implement vaccinations among the population in Gaza in cooperation with USAID.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 90% of the population in the Gaza Strip was vaccinated against polio in the first quarter of 2024.

Furthermore, as part of the medical response provided by the State of Israel, COGAT maintains continuous contact and conducts situational assessments with all health system stakeholders and the international community for ongoing monitoring of the medical situation in the Gaza Strip. As part of this effort, since the beginning of the war, the State of Israel has facilitated the establishment of 14 field hospitals in the Gaza Strip, alongside the entry of 2,566 trucks carrying 25,955 tons of medications and medical equipment into Gaza, which have been distributed to the population.

Attached are photos showing the entry of vaccines for the residents of the Gaza Strip, for disease and epidemic prevention: https://IDFANC.activetrail.biz/ANC170820247865


IDF: Today (Sunday), a soldier from the 202 Battalion, Paratroopers Brigade, was severely injured during combat in the southern Gaza Strip.

The soldier was evacuated to the hospital to receive medical treatment and his family has been notified.

A Message from Shalom