Gaza Herald – The Gaza Municipality said Friday that the city is on the brink of a sweeping health and environmental catastrophe, as fuel shortages force waste-collection vehicles and essential machinery to shut down under Israel’s ongoing blockade. Officials confirmed that key sanitation equipment will cease operating by Saturday, halting garbage removal in several neighborhoods.
The municipality reported more than 350,000 cubic meters of accumulated waste strewn across streets and makeshift dumps, while Israeli occupation forces continue to block access to the main landfill in Juhor ad-Dik. With fuel supplies exhausted, crews are unable to clear refuse piling up near homes, shelters, and markets.
Health experts warn that the growing waste mountains create ideal conditions for outbreaks of infectious diseases, the spread of rodents and insects, and severe risks for children, the elderly, and people with weakened immunity.
The municipality urged international agencies to intervene immediately to restore fuel access and secure passage to the main landfill, warning that the collapse of Gaza’s sanitation system will trigger a full-scale environmental and public-health disaster.
