Deteriorating conditions in Gaza as Israeli siege, aggression ongoing

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen Net + Agencies
13 May 18:15

The Palestinian government says living conditions in Gaza are worsening as the Israeli aggression on the Strip continues.

An Israeli occupation air aggression destroyed a Palestinian home in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip, on May 12, 2023 (Social media)

The Palestinian government said on Saturday that the Israeli occupation aggression on the Gaza Strip has so far resulted in the destruction of 20 family homes, including 56 housing units, and the damaging of 940 housing units, 49 of which are now deemed unfit for living.

The initial damage costs as the Israeli aggression on Gaza entered its fifth day is estimated at about $5 million, the government added in a statement.

So far, the statement added, 33 Palestinian were martyred, almost one-third of which are women and children, and 147 others were wounded, over half of which are women and children.

The agricultural sector suffered more than $3 million in losses and damages as a result of the Israeli occupation's continuous targeting of farmland, which prevented the export of over 1,000 tons of agriproducts.

The Ministry of Social Development said it has so far provided emergency relief and cash assistance to nearly 100 families who lost their homes in Gaza, including rent allowance and temporary housing.

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Power infrastructure in several areas in Gaza has also suffered significant damage due to the ongoing Israeli aggression.

According to the Electricity Distribution Company, its teams have carried out 71 field maintenance missions to repair damaged power lines and grids.

The company stated that the amount of electricity available from the sources amounted to 166.3 megawatts, while the energy demand reached 213.9 megawatts during the past 12 hours, and the peak demand reached 349.94 megawatts.

The total energy deficit amounted to 52.34%, the public firm added.

It also pointed out that the power line (F8), which feeds Khan Younis governorate with electricity, has been restored to service.

The Palestinian authorities said "Israel" is preventing the entry of fuel to the only power station in Gaza, warning that the station will be forced to shut down operations within a period not exceeding 48 hours.

A press conference will be held on Saturday for the Energy Authority to talk about this matter and its repercussions on the service sectors and the humanitarian impact.

According to the Palestinian government, emergency teams in municipalities handled 88 field works in various governorates as a result of the Israeli bombing.

“The occupation continues, for the fifth consecutive day, the crime of collective punishment against 2.3 million citizens, making them hostages by closing the crossings and preventing the entry of needs, goods, and medicines," the government said in its statement.

The occupation entity is also preventing patients in Gaza from reaching medical centers in the West Bank, where they are required to attend to complete treatment, it added.

Foreign press crews are also being prohibited from entering the Strip, the statement read.

The Ministry of Health in Gaza said on the first day of the aggression that over 140 Palestinian patients in the Strip that require immediate medical attention, most of which are cancer patients, are being deprived of treatment after the Israeli occupation entity closed down the Beit Hanoun crossing,

The Ministry said then 5 out of the 142 patients are considered a life or death situation.

The past hours have recorded many violent acts of aggression by the occupation, the statement continued, adding that one of the criminal attacks "is what happened in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital when the occupation planes targeted a house near the hospital, which led to damage in the intensive care units."

For the fifth consecutive day, Israeli occupation forces continue their aggression across the Gaza Strip. Israeli warplanes have been targeting nonstop residential buildings in the north, center, and south of the Gaza Strip.

A senior official in the Resistance told Al Mayadeen that the Palestinian Resistance will continue responding to the Israeli occupation's assassination of top commanders and its ongoing aggression on Gaza.

“The campaign continues, our next attacks are on the way,” he confirmed.

Operation Avenging the Free

In response to the brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip for two days in a row, where "Israel" massacred scores of Palestinians, including three Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) leaders, the Palestinian Resistance launches Operation Avenging the Free to retaliate the Israeli crimes that did not even spare children or women.