GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), A Palestinian woman was killed Wednesday evening by Israeli army gunfire in the southern Gaza Strip.
According to the PIC correspondent, the woman was shot and killed, and another person was injured, by Israeli forces in the Al-Mawasi area of Rafah in southern Gaza.
Following the incident, the number of people killed in the Gaza Strip since Wednesday morning has risen to three, in addition to several others who were wounded.
Earlier in the day, two Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire in the town of Bani Suheila, east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza.
Israeli forces continue to violate the ceasefire in Gaza through artillery and air strikes, as well as indiscriminate gunfire targeting civilians.
Meanwhile, the Union of Gaza Strip Municipalities has warned of a complete shutdown of essential services due to a severe fuel shortage affecting municipal institutions, as Israeli authorities have continued to keep border crossings closed since the beginning of this week.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the union said the crisis threatens to paralyze services for nearly two million residents in the Strip, at a time when the population is already facing catastrophic humanitarian conditions after two years of war and the widespread collapse of vital sectors.
Husni Mehanna, spokesperson for Gaza Municipality, said that municipalities across the Strip, especially Gaza City, have been forced to halt street-clearing operations and rubble removal due to the lack of fuel needed to operate heavy machinery.
He added that municipal crews have also been forced to reduce solid waste collection and disposal in central Gaza City and other large areas.
Mehanna explained that the reduction in services has led to the accumulation of garbage and the emergence of new informal dumping sites within residential neighborhoods, posing a serious public health risk, particularly with the growing spread of insects and rodents.
He also said the municipality has reduced the operating hours of backup generators used for water wells and sewage pumping stations, which has negatively affected the amount of water reaching residents.
According to the Gaza Municipality spokesperson, sewage overflows and leaks are now occurring in several areas of the city due to extensive damage to infrastructure and sewage networks, warning that the situation points to a worsening environmental and health disaster.
Mehanna called on the international community to urgently intervene and pressure Israel to end what he described as arbitrary measures, including the closure of border crossings and the restriction of fuel supplies. He urged the immediate reopening of crossings to allow the entry of fuel, heavy machinery, and specialized equipment needed by municipalities to carry out their duties.
He stressed that municipalities across Gaza urgently require regular and sufficient fuel supplies to maintain basic services, warning that the ongoing crisis places the lives of more than two million people at risk and could lead to a severe deterioration of already dire humanitarian, environmental, and health conditions.
