Gaza City is suffering from a water crisis after the Mekorot water pipeline, which supplies 70% of the city's needs, stopped working, Gaza Municipality spokesman Hosni Mahna said on Wednesday.
He pointed out that Israel caused the Mekorot water company to cut off its main water supply line, located in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood east of Gaza City, where the army is conducting a military operation that began on Thursday.
According to our correspondent, Mahna said that the maintenance of the Mekorot pipeline depends on the security situation in the eastern part of Gaza City. He noted that the municipality is trying to operate some private wells in cooperation with residents to alleviate the crisis in the affected areas.
The spokesman noted that the Israeli army destroyed 64 of the 86 water wells during the war, and that they are attempting to operate the remaining 22 wells using solar energy and backup generators. He noted the urgent need for solar panels, batteries, and spare parts to maintain and operate the generators.
He stressed that water shortages threaten the rapid spread of infectious, skin and intestinal diseases.
Mahna said that the destruction of Gaza's infrastructure exceeded 75%, noting that the amount of rubble in the city exceeds 15 to 20 million tons.
He added that 175,000 tons of waste have accumulated in Gaza's streets, and that the decomposition of corpses under the rubble has led to the spread of rodents, insects, and disease.
Mahna said that Israeli forces destroyed 134 municipal vehicles and equipment, representing 80% of the total. The remaining vehicles are old and dilapidated, and operating them is a burden on the municipality. He called for the immediate entry of heavy machinery and equipment to alleviate the humanitarian, environmental, and health crises.