Gaza’s Raw Sewage to be Pumped into the Sea

Blaming the decision on a lack of fuel which has caused the Gaza Strip’s only power plant to be closed, the heads of Gaza’s municipalities have announced that the enclave’s raw sewage will be pumped directly into the Mediterranean because there is no fuel with which to operate waste treatment plants. All beaches will be closed before the pumping begins. Declaring a state of emergency, municipality services will also be cut by 50-per cent. The Rafah crossing was opened on Wednesday and will stay open through the weekend in order to allow humanitarian cases to leave Gaza for urgent medical treatment. Sewage that enters the Mediterranean off the Gaza coast eventually surfaces off Israeli cities farther north.