Almost all drinking water in Gaza is now contaminated and unsafe for use, according to Al-Qahira Al-Ikhbariya.
The network’s sources report that 98% of Gaza’s water supply has been polluted, raising serious concerns about the potential spread of disease in the territory. At the same time, Gaza’s healthcare system has been severely damaged by the ongoing conflict. Hospitals are only managing to function thanks to humanitarian aid previously delivered from Egypt and Jordan. However, with Israel shutting all border crossings and halting humanitarian deliveries, the situation is becoming even more critical. According to the network, Gaza’s hospitals could run out of essential supplies within two weeks unless aid deliveries resume.
On February 28, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that nearly 602,800 children under the age of 10 were vaccinated against polio during a recent campaign in Gaza. Despite this, health experts warn that the virus is still present and could spread further due to worsening sanitary conditions caused by the destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure.
In January, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement brokered by Egypt, Qatar, and the US, which came into effect on January 19. The first phase of the deal ended on March 1, during which 33 Israeli hostages, including the bodies of 8 who had died, were returned. In exchange, Israel released over 1,500 Palestinians, some of whom were deported.
However, on March 2, Israel blocked all humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza and sealed all crossings after Hamas rejected a proposal from US envoy Stephen Witkoff aimed at continuing ceasefire negotiations.
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Based on materials from TASS