Palestinian children fill containers with water in Gaza City on November 14, 2024. (AFP)

Khan Yunis, November 17 (RHC)-- The shortage of fuel in Gaza has left more than 1.2 million people without access to clean water in the southern city of Khan Yunis, officials have warned.  Palestinian officials said in a statement on Saturday that “this persistent fuel stoppage has disrupted essential services, including the operation of water wells and desalination plants.”

The city officials also raised the alarm about the suspension of sewage treatment facilities in Khan Yunis.   They said that untreated wastewater could flood the streets and exacerbate the risk of environmental and health disasters.

The officials also urged the international community and UN agencies to “pressure Israel to resume fuel supplies and allow the entry of essential equipment and spare parts to prevent the complete collapse of public services.”  The Israeli regime, they said, “has destroyed all aspects of life” in Gaza.

Israel's military has systematically blocked the entry of lifesaving food, medicine, medical supplies, fuel, and tents into the besieged Palestinian territory since October 2023.

More than one year into the regime's campaign of death and destruction, the territory's critical infrastructure such as water networks, sanitation facilities and bread mills has all been razed to the ground.