UNICEF says Israel blocked Gaza drainage basin repairs, warns of flooding and disease

UNICEF reported that Israel rejected the import of equipment to repair the Sheikh Radwan stormwater basin in Gaza City, which is contaminated with sewage and at risk of overflowing after heavy rain. COGAT cited security concerns. Heavy rain has flooded tent camps, killing four people.

The UN children's agency UNICEF said Israel had rejected the importation of equipment needed to repair a water basin in Gaza, warning that the facility could overflow and endanger nearby residents through flooding and disease. The damaged facility is the Sheikh Radwan stormwater basin in Gaza City, now contaminated with sewage and at risk of overflowing after heavy rainfall, according to UNICEF's James Elder. He told reporters the agency had been working with Israeli authorities and US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace for a year on a $3 million plan to repair it, but that COGAT, the Israeli military agency overseeing humanitarian affairs in Gaza, had rejected the project in the past few days. Elder said COGAT cited security grounds, in an apparent reference to strict Israeli rules regulating the entry of items that could be used for either civilian or military purposes by Hamas. COGAT did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This week, heavy rain has already flooded tens of thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians across Gaza. Four people, including three small children, were killed when a sand embankment collapsed on their tents. A US-brokered ceasefire last year called for the eventual reconstruction of Gaza, but little progress has been made as negotiators have failed to agree on terms for Hamas to disarm or for Israel to withdraw its troops. The World Health Organization warned of significant communicable disease risks due to flooding, poor sanitation and insufficient health and water services.