Title: Gaza Struggles as Israeli Blockade Leaves Residents Without Water, Food, and Electricity
In the midst of Israeli airstrikes and in anticipation of a ground offensive, the people of Gaza are facing a growing crisis as their essential supplies of water, food, and electricity have been cut off due to the Israeli blockade. The situation is becoming increasingly desperate as water sources run dry, garbage piles up in the streets, and explosions continue to devastate homes and hospitals.
With limited options for obtaining drinking water, some residents have resorted to digging wells in areas near the sea or relying on the salty tap water from Gaza’s only aquifer, which is contaminated with sewage and seawater. In a display of solidarity, two residents in Khan Younis voluntarily distributed water to displaced families in plastic containers.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has sparked fears of a wider Middle East crisis, causing the residents of Gaza to pray for an end to the violence. Overnight air strikes have been the most intense in the nine days of the conflict, resulting in the destruction of numerous houses. According to Gaza authorities, the death toll has reached at least 2,750 people, predominantly civilians, including over 700 children, with nearly 10,000 injured. Tragically, approximately 1,000 people are still missing, believed to be buried under the rubble.
As Israel prepares for a ground assault, it has imposed a complete blockade on Gaza. Israeli troops and tanks have amassed at the border, and the government has vowed to annihilate Hamas in retaliation for their surprise offensive in Israeli towns, which resulted in the deaths of 1,300 civilians and the abduction of 199 people. Israel’s military has reported the loss of at least 291 soldiers in the conflict.
The dire situation in Gaza has caught the attention of Philippe Lazzarini, the commissioner general of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA, who stated, Gaza is being strangled, and it seems that the world has lost its humanity. Hamas has accused Israel of failing to resume water supplies to Gaza, despite promising to do so. While an Israeli official claims that some water is being provided to a southern area of the enclave, international calls for a ceasefire to allow aid into Gaza have intensified. However, Israel’s Energy Minister, Israel Katz, has insisted that the siege will not be lifted until Israeli hostages are freed.
Gaza is already one of the most densely populated places on Earth, and its residents find themselves trapped with no way out. Egypt, which shares a border with Gaza, has thus far resisted calls to open its borders to those seeking refuge. Mohammad Saqr, a resident, shared the desperation felt by many, saying, Because of the large number of people inside the camp, there’s no water. So I thought I would volunteer, come with a rickshaw and carry the water from the far away areas, the dangerous areas. Now, we’re filling in salt water, I’m ready to drink from the salt water — what else can we do?
Even before the blockade and the latest conflict, 90% of the water in Gaza was undrinkable, as reported by the Palestinian Water Authority. The water from the territory’s only aquifer is contaminated with sewage, chemicals, seawater, and desalination facilities in the area. Public taps connected to the aquifer have become a lifeline for the approximately 2.3 million residents of Gaza. However, even the 10% of water deemed safe for consumption often gets mixed with poor-quality water during distribution, making it suitable only for washing purposes.
Families in Gaza have resorted to drilling private wells to access water from deep underground, while some who can afford it opt for buying mineral water. Others rely on cheaper filtered and treated water from trucks that traverse the streets. The mounting garbage on the streets and inside shelters for the displaced population has raised concerns about a potential health crisis.
Overwhelmed hospitals are struggling to cope with a rising number of patients, including children injured in the airstrikes. The hospitals, already facing shortages of medication and fuel due to the blockade, can only prioritize the most critical cases for surgery. Doctors are doing their best with limited resources but warn of the urgent need for assistance.
The current situation in Gaza calls for immediate international attention and intervention to alleviate the suffering of its inhabitants. As the conflict continues to escalate, there is an urgent need for a ceasefire to ensure the delivery of crucial aid and prevent a further deterioration of the humanitarian crisis.
Keywords: Gaza, Israeli blockade, water shortage, food shortage, electricity cutoff, airstrikes, ground offensive, desperate residents, water contamination, drinking water, garbage crisis, humanitarian crisis, international intervention.
