Rafah municipality forced to halt fuel supply to water wells amid Israeli blockade

The municipality of Rafah, in southern Gaza, announced on Saturday that it has been forced to stop supplying fuel to private and agricultural water wells due to a severe fuel crisis.

The crisis has persisted for two weeks as a result of Israel's closure of border crossings, preventing the entry of humanitarian aid, relief supplies, and goods.

Ahmed Al-Sufi, the mayor of Rafah, said in a press release that the municipality had been providing fuel to operate 80 private and agricultural water wells in addition to the main wells.

“This was essential to ensuring water access for neighborhoods where Palestinians have returned, given the deteriorating humanitarian conditions," he explained.

However, with fuel supplies running out, the municipality has been compelled to scale back services and suspend critical operations, threatening the lives of thousands and exacerbating the health and environmental crisis.

Sufi warned of the disastrous consequences of the halted water supply, saying: "We are facing a looming humanitarian catastrophe."

He stressed that the water crisis in Rafah has reached “alarming levels, with no viable solutions in sight due to Israel's continued closure of the crossings.”

"The deprivation of water exposes residents to severe health risks at a time when they are already enduring extreme living conditions caused by ongoing aggression and siege," he added.

The mayor called on international organizations and humanitarian bodies to intervene immediately and pressure Israel to reopen the crossings and allow the entry of fuel and relief supplies to prevent further deterioration of living conditions.

A ceasefire has been in place since January, pausing Israel's genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 48,500 people, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023 and left the enclave in ruins.