Gaza municipalities overwhelmed by Israeli destruction and blockade

The Jabalia municipality in the northern Gaza Strip is on the verge of collapse following repeated Israeli assaults and an ongoing siege on the Palestinian enclave, local officials have warned.

Last month, Israeli forces bombed the municipality’s main garage and other critical infrastructure, compounding the earlier destruction of its headquarters during the initial stages of the war in 2023.

The garage - used for parking, supplying and repairing ambulances, refuse lorries, and other essential municipal vehicles - had already been partially destroyed in earlier strikes. Despite this, staff had continued operations with severely limited resources.

Following the most recent attack, however, “we are nearing total paralysis - a health and infrastructure catastrophe,” said Saadi al-Dabbour, director of public relations at Jabalia municipality, speaking to Middle East Eye.

Gaza’s municipalities are responsible for lifesaving services, including clean water distribution, wastewater drainage, solid waste disposal, market regulation, and road clearance - all of which are essential and cannot be suspended or delayed.

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