Gaza Herald – Municipal authorities across the Gaza Strip have warned that essential public services are on the verge of total collapse as Israeli restrictions continue to prevent the entry of critical supplies needed to maintain basic infrastructure.
The warning comes amid mounting concerns over the depletion of industrial oils required to operate municipal machinery, water facilities, sewage systems, and waste management equipment.
Husni Mahna, spokesperson for Gaza Municipality, said the crisis has moved beyond fuel shortages and entered a far more dangerous phase due to the near exhaustion of industrial lubricants and maintenance materials essential for keeping municipal operations running.
“The shortage of industrial oils has become the most urgent and immediate threat facing public services today,” Mahna said. “If these systems stop functioning, the humanitarian crisis will deepen dramatically, with direct consequences for public health and daily life.”
Among the most vulnerable facilities are drinking water wells, which provide water to hundreds of thousands of residents. Municipal officials warn that interruptions in operations could leave large sections of the population without access to safe water.
Sewage pumping stations are also at risk of shutting down, raising fears of wastewater flooding residential neighborhoods and displacement camps, potentially triggering severe environmental and health hazards.
Waste collection services face similar challenges. Municipal authorities say the suspension of garbage collection and transportation would accelerate the accumulation of solid waste and increase the risk of disease outbreaks in densely populated areas.
According to municipal officials, approximately 700,000 cubic meters of solid waste have already accumulated across Gaza City. The situation has been exacerbated by the destruction of municipal vehicles and heavy equipment during the war, severely limiting local authorities’ ability to manage growing waste volumes.
The warning comes as Gaza continues to endure a prolonged humanitarian crisis marked by widespread infrastructure damage, displacement, and shortages of essential supplies.
Municipal leaders are urging immediate international intervention to facilitate the entry of industrial oils, maintenance materials, fuel, and equipment necessary to sustain basic services, warning that failure to act could lead to a full-scale public health and environmental catastrophe across the Gaza Strip.
