By Merve Aydogan
HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN chief on Monday expressed deep concern over Israel's decision to cut electricity supply to Gaza, warning that the move would severely impact access to clean water for tens of thousands of people.
"The Secretary General (Antonio Guterres) is very concerned about Israel's decision to limit electricity supply going into Gaza. This latest decision will substantially reduce the availability of drinking water in the Gaza Strip," said spokesperson Stephane Dujarric at a news conference.
Saying that "starting today, the facility is set to run on backup generators, which will reduce the water production capacity," Dujarric stressed that "restoring this connection is vital for tens of thousands of families and children."
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dujarric also reported that all crossings into Gaza have been closed for cargo entry for nine consecutive days.
"The Kerem Shalom crossing also remains closed for the collection of cargo for the ninth straight day, which is severely impacting the delivery of humanitarian assistance across the Gaza Strip," Dujarric said.
Noting that fuel shortages are crippling aid operations, he added that the UN is "currently examining how to prioritize the remaining stock."
Asked whether any goods had entered Gaza in recent days, Dujarric said: "So far, nothing. I mean, there's been no goods, no trucks coming in. We again call on all the parties to live up to the obligations that they had agreed to. We want to see the humanitarian aid return and flow back and flood back into Gaza."
On whether the electricity cut constitutes a violation of international law, Dujarric said: "There is an obligation for Israel, under international law, to provide these basic services, and they should do it."
Regarding the occupied West Bank, Dujarric said OCHA reported that Israeli military operations in the northern part of the territory are ongoing.
"In Nablus, over the weekend, Israeli settlers cut down hundreds of olive trees and vandalized a water well, affecting the livelihoods of seven Palestinian families," he said.
Dujarric also noted that since Jan. 2023, over 2,000 Palestinians — half of them children — have been displaced across the West Bank due to increased illegal Israeli settler violence and access restrictions.
Tension has been running high across the West Bank, where at least 930 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 7,000 injured in attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers since the start of the onslaught on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
In July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s long-standing occupation of Palestinian territories illegal, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.