Israel obstructs sewage reform in Gaza, warnings of overflow threatening thousands of residents

A report reveals Israel's obstruction of repairing destroyed sewage treatment plants in Gaza, with 40,000 cubic meters of polluted water flowing into the sea daily, and warnings of sewage basin overflow with rainfall threatening thousands of residents.

A report from Arab 48, citing Haaretz, reveals that Israel continues to obstruct the repair of sewage treatment plants it destroyed in Gaza during the war. Approximately 40,000 cubic meters of untreated sewage flow into the sea daily, while the five treatment plants in the Strip remain inoperative due to Israeli restrictions on the entry of equipment and fuel needed for repairs. According to testimonies from workers at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), Israeli authorities are aware of the volume of polluted water flowing but continue to place obstacles to the entry of equipment. The report warns that heavy rains could cause several sewage basins to overflow, foremost among them the Sheikh Radwan pond in central Gaza City, which contains hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of sewage, and its rising level threatens thousands of residents living nearby. Only one of the six pumps that were working in the pond remains operational, while UNICEF has been working for weeks to repair the broken pumps and lower the water level in preparation for winter. The report indicates that Israel destroyed the sewage transport and treatment system in Gaza during the war, leading to the shutdown of the five treatment plants.