Gaza, MINA – More than a quarter million tons of waste have accumulated across Gaza City amid severe water shortages and sewage leaks, creating a worsening environmental and health catastrophe for thousands of Palestinians, municipal officials said Monday, as cited by MEMO.
Municipal spokesperson Asim al-Nabih warned that the crisis continues to escalate due to widespread destruction caused by Israel’s ongoing two-year genocidal war and the lack of equipment and fuel to deliver essential services.
“Gaza City is facing several health and environmental disasters that endanger residents’ lives,” Nabih said in a recorded statement. He noted that more than 250,000 tons of waste have piled up across the city while water supplies have drastically diminished.
Nabih described the situation as a “grave health and environmental catastrophe,” adding that the garbage buildup increases the risk of disease spread as rodents and insects multiply in the affected areas.
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He explained that the municipality cannot effectively respond because Israel destroyed over 85% of Gaza City’s heavy and medium machinery, leaving no replacements. Moreover, Israeli forces are blocking municipal crews from accessing the main landfill in Juhor al-Dik, southeast of Gaza City, located east of the so-called “yellow line”, a boundary separating areas occupied by Israeli forces from those evacuated under the Oct. 10 ceasefire.
Large quantities of untreated sewage have also leaked into streets, further aggravating the health crisis. Israeli airstrikes during the war have destroyed more than 700,000 meters of sewage pipelines across the Gaza Strip, according to the Gaza Government Media Office.
Nabih urged the international community for urgent intervention to deliver heavy equipment, fuel, and to allow municipal workers to access restricted areas. “Without these resources,” he warned, “residents will face the risk of death from diseases and epidemics.”
Local authorities estimate that 90% of Gaza City’s infrastructure has been destroyed, with preliminary losses exceeding $70 billion.
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Since October 2023, Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza has killed more than 68,500 people and injured over 170,300, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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