The second-largest seawater desalination plant in the Gaza Strip ceased operations today, just days after the largest plant in central Gaza was shut down, Anadolu reported.
This comes as Israel continues to close border crossings and impose a strict blockade, preventing the entry of fuel and essential equipment needed to keep the facilities running.
Local officials have warned of the worsening water crisis, especially in the central and southern areas of the sector, where the Bussa Station is a lifeline for these densely populated areas. The halt of its services threatens a humanitarian disaster.
Ahmad Al-Rifai, director of the Al-Bassa desalination plant, said the facility, which produces 6,000 cubic metres of water daily, had been operating using power generators due to the electricity cuts.
He explained that the cable connecting the plant to coastal wells was damaged three days ago, and repairs have been delayed due to a lack of necessary equipment caused by the ongoing closure of border crossings. This has resulted in the plant’s complete shutdown.
A few days earlier, Tel Aviv cut the electricity supply to Gaza’s main desalination plant, the only facility in the enclave that was still receiving power from Israel during the war.
As a result, the plant, which previously produced around 18,000 cubic metres of desalinated water per day, has been forced to drastically reduce output to less than 3,000 cubic metres.
Al-Rifai warned that “the situation is worsening by the day,” stressing that if border crossings remain closed for a few more days, fuel reserves will run out, causing the plant to shut down entirely.
“This shutdown means depriving the region of its main source of clean water,” he added.
READ: Israel cuts off power to 2 desalination plants in Gaza