Deir al-Balah: The Deir al-Balah Municipality in the central Gaza Strip has warned of a looming humanitarian disaster after two major desalination plants were forced to shut down due to a power cut. The Deir al-Balah Municipality announced that the South Sea Desalination Plant and the Basra Desalination Plant ceased operations after the Israeli occupation forces cut off electricity.
According to Jordan News Agency, in response to Israel’s measures, Germany’s Foreign Ministry on Monday demanded that Israeli occupation forces immediately allow the resumption of aid into the Gaza Strip. The shutdown has led to a complete halt in desalinated water production, which is crucial for the area.
The two plants supply approximately 20,000 cubic meters of desalinated water daily, serving 70% of the population in Deir al-Balah. With their closure, residents face a severe water crisis, exacerbating an already dire situation. The municipality has called on the international community and humanitarian organizations to act swiftly to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of Gazans.
Germany’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sebastian Fischer stated that halting aid entry as a form of pressure during negotiations over a ceasefire agreement is unjustifiable. Fischer emphasized that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) has consistently underscored the importance of ensuring the unobstructed flow of essential aid.
On Monday, Israeli occupation bulldozers demolished a Palestinian farm in Issawiya, northeast of occupied Jerusalem. The Popular Committee for Resisting the Wall and Settlements in Issawiya reported that the bulldozers destroyed a 4-dunam farm, which included a residence and a livestock barn, citing its proximity to the Israeli Anatot settlement as the reason. The Israeli occupation authorities had issued an evacuation notice to the farm’s owner and gave him just 24 hours to demolish it.