The Gaza Ministry of Energy on Wednesday, October 11 announced that its sole power plant has run out of fuel and shut down due to Israeli blockade.
As the Israel-Palestine conflict entered its third day, on Monday, October 9, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip, in the wake to counter Hamas, a Palestinian resistance militant group.
The “complete siege” has hit the availability of essentials in Gaza. The energy authority in the Gaza Strip had warned of a potential humanitarian catastrophe due to a fuel shortage at the power plant and halted electricity supply by the Israeli government.
Following a ‘surprise attack’ launched by Hamas on Israel on Saturday, October 7, Israel formally declared war and authorized major military actions against Hamas in retaliation for the unexpected strike the previous day.
The Israeli military has stepped up its shelling of the Gaza Strip in an effort to crush fighters who are still present in southern communities.
So far, the death toll on both sides has risen to more than 2,200 and is expected to escalate.
Gaza’s Ministry of Health said that at least 1,055 Palestinians have been killed, including 260 children and 230 women, and 5,184 citizens injured so far due to Israeli attacks. The numbers are bound to escalate as electricity to hospitals is being cut by Israel.
In Israel, the number of people killed in Hamas attacks reached 1,200, including 170 Israeli soldiers, while more than 2,900 were injured.
123,538 displaced in Gaza amid Hamas-Israel war
A total of 123,538 people have been internally displaced in Gaza in the three days since the Israel-Hamas conflict broke out in the coastal enclave on October 7, according to the UN.
In a statement, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said, “More than 17,500 families, comprising over 123,538 people, have been internally displaced in Gaza, mostly due to fear, protection concerns and the destruction of their homes.”
