Humanitarian groups are considering a mass vaccination campaign for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip after traces of variant poliovirus type 2 were found in water sources in the war-torn territory.

The disease was detected in six locations in Gaza, the World Health Organization said Friday, adding that no cases of paralysis had been identified so far.

Geneva-based WHO said it was working with partners — including UNICEF and United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) - to conduct a risk assessment.

Polio vaccination rates in Gaza before the war were “optimal,” according to the organization.

Israel on Sunday confirmed the resurgence of the virus, which can be spread by contaminated water and direct person-to-person contact, and said it would offer booster shots to its soldiers operating in and around the Gaza Strip.

— Bloomberg