غزة تواجه كارثة إنسانية شاملة بسبب قطع الكهرباء وإغلاق المعابر

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Press Release Issued by the Union of Municipalities of the Gaza Strip

Gaza Faces a Comprehensive Humanitarian Catastrophe Due to Power Cuts and Border Closures

Amid the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip caused by the devastating Israeli aggression for the past 16 months, the Union of Municipalities of the Gaza Strip reaffirms the urgent need for adequate and continuous supplies of water and electricity. This necessity has become even more critical following the shutdown of the central water desalination plant due to the Israeli occupation’s electricity cuts, posing a grave threat to Palestinian lives and exacerbating health and environmental crises. 

We strongly condemn the recent decision by the Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and the ongoing power outage in Gaza since the beginning of the aggression. This deprivation of the population’s primary energy source has resulted in the paralysis of essential services, particularly in healthcare, water, and sanitation. Water desalination plants, wastewater treatment stations, and numerous municipal facilities have ceased operations, significantly increasing the risk of disease outbreaks and environmental disasters. 

The continuation of these punitive measures against civilians constitutes a blatant violation of international humanitarian law and exacerbates the suffering of Gaza’s population, who are enduring the worst humanitarian crisis in history. Additionally, the prohibition of construction materials, spare parts, machinery, and alternative energy systems has severely hindered municipalities' ability to find effective solutions, deepening the crisis and threatening a complete collapse of essential services. 

The Union of Municipalities of the Gaza Strip urgently calls on the international community, humanitarian organizations, and relevant authorities to intervene immediately to ensure a continuous supply of electricity, fuel, and water. We also demand the facilitation of entry for essential equipment and materials needed to maintain municipal operations and prevent further health and environmental disasters that endanger the lives of more than two million besieged people in Gaza. 

Union of Municipalities of the Gaza Strip 

        Tuesday, March 11, 2025