As Gaza reels under the weight of an unrelenting Israeli blockade, the municipalities of Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah have announced a drastic reduction in essential services due to severe fuel shortages—leaving over a million Palestinians at heightened risk of disease, thirst, and environmental collapse.

With no fuel entering the Strip since early March, water facilities, sewage systems, and waste management services have come to a near halt. In Khan Younis, operations have been slashed to just 30%, forcing the shutdown of desalination plants and water pumps, while garbage piles up in the streets and sewage begins to overflow. The city has urged residents—many of them displaced and living in overcrowded shelters—to ration water, warning of an imminent disaster.

In Deir al-Balah, the situation is equally dire. The last functioning water wells are now in danger of stopping altogether. The municipality has made an urgent appeal to international organisations to pressure Israel into allowing fuel deliveries, highlighting the risk of a total collapse in public health and sanitation services. The damage is compounded by the shutdown of the central desalination plant and the disrepair of key water lines—lifelines that could stave off catastrophe if restored.

For Palestinians, this crisis is not just about infrastructure—it is a deliberate act of collective punishment. Since March 2, Israel’s complete closure of Gaza’s crossings has blocked food, aid, and medical supplies, deepening an already catastrophic situation. Despite a ceasefire framework earlier this year, Israeli forces resumed their military assault in mid-March, intensifying the siege.

More than 170,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded since October 2023. Yet the world remains largely silent as a man-made disaster unfolds before its eyes. In Gaza today, a child’s drink of clean water and a family’s access to a working toilet have become matters of survival.