'We try and drink as little water as possible': Gaza stripped of lifeline as Israel attacks crucial services

As Israel's assault on the Gaza Strip escalates, the humanitarian conditions in the besieged enclave have reached dire straits. According to the Gaza Energy Authority, Gaza's sole power plant was shut down on Wednesday due to a fuel shortage. Hospitals and healthcare providers are on their knees. The blackout will lead to death. 

Salama Ma'arouf, spokesperson of the Hamas-run Gaza press office, said in a press release that the shutdown of the power plant will sever provisions of essential services to the over 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Due to a ban on fuel imports from the Egyptian border, the plant won't be able to function even with the use of generators. 

Every resident of the Gaza Strip faces a humanitarian crisis, worsened by the Israeli occupation's blanket bombardment. "Bombing the homes of civilians is one of the most despicable cases of collective punishment in recent history," Ma'arouf said. 

"To date, more than 1,700 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, and more than 7,000 injured; over 500 of those killed were children"

Medhat Abbas, General Manager of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza, told The New Arab that hospitals in Gaza are relying on generators, which will run out very soon.

"We're facing a catastrophe, we urgently need fuel for our hospitals to keep working," Medhat explained. 

Hospitals no longer have beds for the injured. To date, 1,799 Palestinians in Gaza were killed, and 7,388 were injured; 583 of those killed were children. 

"We only have a few tens of beds left. We're making efforts to collaborate with international organizations and hospitals to accommodate more patients, but their capacity is also limited," Medhat told The New Arab.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza has reported that 10 of its medical staff were killed. 14 health facilities have been attacked, including ambulances. 

On Friday, Hamas launched a large-scale cross-border incursion into Israel. The firing of numerous rockets into Israel was succeeded by a multi-pronged operation involving ground, aerial, and naval forces. Nonetheless, the operation, known as Al-Aqsa Storm, caught Israel by surprise, occurring during an already highly charged period of Israel's occupation of Palestine. 

Zena Ouf, a 24-year-old resident of The New Arab, mentioned that her house used to receive four hours of electricity every 24 hours, which was already insufficient to operate generators and provide water to the buildings.

"When the electricity plant shut down, we had to buy water from the markets. We try and drink as little water as possible," Zena told The New Arab. 

In Gaza, residents have to buy water from bottles as water from the taps is not drinkable. Water supply vehicles visit neighbourhoods on a daily basis.

Zena's family was able to buy water from the supplier three days ago. But, before leaving, the supplier informed them not to reach out to him again because "his water purification system was no longer operational, and he couldn't leave his home due to the ongoing Israeli bombing."

Internet access in the Gaza Strip has been significantly impaired due to the power outages and damage to the infrastructure, which has occurred since the battle started.

The telecommunication operator Paltel is concerned that if additional international routes are damaged, a complete blackout could occur, according to the international  Internet's Observatory NetBlocks. 

Damage to the infrastructure also led to phone networks working in Gaza, Jawwal and Oreedo, losing signals at major parts of the strip. This situation makes it challenging for people to communicate with one another and verify the well-being of their relatives and loved ones.

On Monday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced that they intend to impose a comprehensive blockade on Gaza, which includes plans to disconnect electricity and restrict the flow of food and fuel.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza is expected to get worse as reports say Israel is preparing for a ground invasion inside the Gaza Strip.

Palestinians in Gaza have been living under a strict Israeli siege since Hamas took over the coastal enclave in 2007. Since then, the economic situation has been deteriorating constantly with almost half of the population unemployed. 

Abeer Ayyoub is a freelance journalist based in Amman

Follow her on Twitter: @abeerayyoub