“I don’t trust anything:” Palestinian activist Bisan expresses doubt about polio vaccines in Gaza

Palestinian filmmaker and activist Bisan Owda expressed doubts about the ongoing polio vaccination campaign in the Gaza Strip, questioning why the Israeli army would care to allow vaccines while it is openly killing children.

The United Nations launched a campaign on Sunday during a limited truce to vaccinate 640,000 children in Gaza against poliovirus,  a highly infectious virus that can lead to paralysis and even death.

The virus emerged in the Palestinian enclave amid dire sanitary and health conditions, following the collapse of the medical infrastructure and the accumulation of waste, which has contaminated water and led to skin infections and other diseases.

Israeli military operations have also obstructed immunisation campaigns by the World Health Organisation (WHO), allowing diseases to spread further.

The first round of vaccination in central Gaza will last until September 4, followed by the second round in Khan Younis and Rafah from September 5-8. The northern parts of the enclave will be covered from September 9-12.

Taking to Instagram, Bisan Owda shared that she had received an email stating that while Israel is adamant about continuing its military offensive, its army has decided to pause to allow the vaccination of children in Gaza, which raises suspicions.

Bisan explained that the email made her skeptical about the polio vaccines in Gaza, noting that while the immunisation is being administered at hospitals, the Israeli army continues bombing the surrounding areas.

She questioned the "so-called truce" by Israeli authorities to allow vaccination, asking "what would happen if a child receives a vaccine at a hospital and is killed on the way back home."

She highlighted that some media outlets reported the polio virus had entered Gaza from outside the enclave, drawing parallels to colonial powers that used sterilisation and similar measures to control and harm oppressed populations.

“I don’t trust anything, I don't trust the world, I don’t trust people, I don’t trust the future, I don’t trust humanitarian institutions, I don’t trust the occupation.” Bisan asserted.

The Palestinian activist said that she only “trusts her memory of a whole generation of children” being intentionally wiped out by the Israeli army.

Bisan’s concerns underscore the uncertainty among Palestinians in Gaza, who have no outlets in which to place trust regarding their lives.

The current polio vaccines are being administered by UNICEF, UNRWA, and WHO, in collaboration with the Gaza Health Ministry.