The Gaza Strip Municipalities Union said that Gaza is facing a comprehensive humanitarian disaster due to power outages and the closure of crossings, in light of the ongoing catastrophe in the Gaza Strip resulting from the devastating Israeli aggression that has been ongoing for 16 months.

The Gaza Strip Municipalities Union stressed in a statement issued Wednesday the urgent need to provide sufficient and sustainable supplies of water and electricity, especially after the central desalination plant was shut down due to the Israeli occupation's power outage, threatening the lives of Palestinians and exacerbating health and environmental crises.

The Union condemned the recent decision by the Israeli Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and the continued power outage in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the aggression. This has deprived the Strip's residents of their primary source of energy, paralyzing basic services, particularly health, water, and sanitation. Desalination plants, sewage treatment plants, and numerous municipal facilities have ceased operation, threatening the spread of epidemics and diseases.

He stressed that the continuation of these punitive policies against civilians constitutes a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and exacerbates the suffering of Gaza's residents, who are facing the worst humanitarian crisis in history. Furthermore, the denial of entry of construction materials, spare parts, machinery, and alternative energy systems has limited municipalities' ability to find effective solutions, deepening the crisis and threatening the collapse of basic services.

The Gaza Municipalities Union reiterated its urgent appeal to the international community, humanitarian organizations, and relevant parties to intervene immediately to secure a sustainable supply of electricity, fuel, and water, guarantee the entry of essential equipment and materials needed to ensure the continued operation of municipalities, and avert further health and environmental disasters that threaten the lives of more than two million people trapped in Gaza.

A week ago, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen announced the revocation of the license allowing the electricity company to supply power to the Gaza Strip, nine days after the decision to ban the entry of fuel and humanitarian aid into the Strip.

The Israeli occupation authorities have cut off electricity to the entire Gaza Strip since the start of the genocidal war on the Strip on October 7, 2023.