According to the authorities in Gaza, the ‘complete isolation’ Israel has imposed on the Hamas-run territory puts ‘all fundamental life services’ in jeopardy.
Gaza is in “humanitarian catastrophe” as a result of the power plant’s fuel shortage.
The Palestinian territory will be left without energy after Israel shuts off supplies in retribution for recent attacks by Hamas, the fighter group that controls Gaza, according to the power authority of the blockaded enclave.
The plant in Gaza, where around 2.3 million people reside in one of the world’s densest populations, would shut down in the afternoon, according to Palestinian Energy Authority Chairman Thafer Melhem on Voice of Palestine radio on Wednesday.
“This threatens to plunge the Strip into complete darkness and make it impossible to continue providing all basic life services, all of which depend on electricity, and it will not be possible to operate them partially with generators in light of the prevention of fuel supplies from Rafah Gate,” stated a statement released by Gaza’s authorities on Wednesday.
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All Gaza Strip people are in a humanitarian catastrophe as a result of this tragic circumstance, the statement continued.
Israel’s response was described as “the dirtiest crime of collective punishment against defenseless civilians in modern history” in the statement.
In order to end “this crime against humanity and this multi-form mass murder,” the international community was urged to act fast.
The fuel supply for the hospitals’ generators will run out tomorrow, Thursday, according to Health Minister Mai al-Kaila, which will make the already appalling conditions even worse.
Since there are no open borders in Gaza, fuel cannot be imported for the power plant or the backup generators that have long provided electricity to the area’s population and hospitals.
Israel cut off Gaza’s electricity supply on Monday as part of a “total siege” in retaliation for a massive infiltration by Hamas fighters into southern Israel on Saturday.
In its present form, the Israeli blockade of the occupied Gaza Strip began in June 2007. Israel is in charge of Gaza’s airspace, territorial waters, and two of the three border crossing points; Egypt is in charge of the third crossing point.
As part of “a complete siege” on the region, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced on Monday that officials would shut off the electricity and bar the entry of food and gasoline.
“We are completely besieging Gaza… No food, no water, no gas, no electricity—everything is shut down, according to Gallant in a video statement.
The Gaza Strip is currently experiencing a major humanitarian crisis. Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary-general of the PLO’s executive committee, pleaded with the international community on Tuesday to “intervene urgently to stop the aggression, permit the entry of relief materials, and restore electricity and water.”
UN aid
More than 180,000 people have sought refuge in the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees’ schools in Gaza, but the organization only has less than two weeks’ worth of food and water to support them.
“We have enough food and water supplies for 12 days. We don’t have telephone lines, the roads are blocked, and air attacks have hit our networks. We find it very challenging to understand what is going on, according to Jennifer Austin, the agency’s deputy director.
We rely on our staff members, who are also refugees, to go out and provide services. We are actually dealing with an unparalleled scenario.
This threatens to plunge the Strip into complete darkness and make it impossible to continue providing all basic life services, all of which depend on electricity, and it will not be possible to operate them partially with generators in light of the prevention of fuel supplies from Rafah Gate,” stated a statement released by Gaza’s authorities on Wednesday.
