Israel says Gaza desalination plant connected to its electrical grid

Israel鈥檚 war in Gaza has decimated the strip鈥檚 sanitation system while simultaneously displacing the vast majority of the population, leaving many Palestinians living in tent camps nearby water contaminated with sewage and growing piles of garbage. (AP)
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  • 鈥淎 new power line from Israel has been directly connected to a water desalination plant managed by UNICEF in Khan Yunis,鈥� said a statement from the Israeli army
  • A source at Gaza鈥檚 Electricity Distribution Corporation said the beleaguered utility was 鈥減reparing for the possibility of them (Israel) operating the line鈥�

JERUSALEM: Israel said Tuesday it has connected a water desalination plant in southern Gaza to its electrical grid, in an easing of its siege of the Palestinian territory, but is not yet supplying power.
The Israeli military agency responsible for civilian operations in the Palestinian territories said it could take up to two weeks to start supplying electricity to the desalination plant in Khan Yunis, which is suffering from critical water shortages.
鈥淎 new power line from Israel has been directly connected to a water desalination plant managed by UNICEF in Khan Yunis,鈥� said a statement from the Israeli army and the COGAT agency, referring to the United Nations children鈥檚 fund.
A source at Gaza鈥檚 Electricity Distribution Corporation said the beleaguered utility was 鈥減reparing for the possibility of them (Israel) operating the line.鈥�
Col. Elad Goren of COGAT told a press briefing that Israel would provide electricity 鈥渙nce they will fix the lines from the Gazan side... in a week or two.鈥�
He said the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority would pay for the electricity, as it did before the Israel-Hamas war started on October 7.
Israel has faced international criticism over the impact of its military assault against Hamas on Gaza鈥檚 civilian population.
Goren said infrastructure decisions were made at a political level, and that the return of the power line was based on the need to increase the desalination plant鈥檚 capacity.
UNICEF has welcomed an agreement with Israel to begin supplying the Khan Yunis plant again.
鈥淭his is an important milestone, and we are very much looking forward to seeing it implemented,鈥� UNICEF spokesman in the Palestinian territories, Jonathan Crickx, told AFP.
Water has been scarce for Gaza鈥檚 2.4 million inhabitants since the war erupted with the Hamas attacks on Israel. Sixty percent of the territory鈥檚 water distribution systems have been damaged, Crickx said.
After the Hamas attack, Israel鈥檚 Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced 鈥渁 complete siege鈥� on Gaza with 鈥渘o electricity, no water, no gas.鈥� Aid groups say Gaza is now gripped by a humanitarian crisis.
鈥淐urrently, the plant is only producing 5,000 cubic meters of water a day. With the new power line from Israel, the plant will ramp up production to 20,000 cubic meters of drinking water per day,鈥� the Israeli statement said.