Piles of garbage, sewage accumulate in Gaza amid Israeli war: UN agency

Piles of garbage and sewage accumulate around refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip amid Israel's ongoing war on the enclave, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said on Wednesday.

UNRWA spokesperson Louise Wateridge said the refugee agency has been denied access to waste disposal sites by Israeli authorities, while several sewage treatment centers and waste disposal vehicles have been destroyed.

"Rising temperature fuels the crisis, leading not only to foul odors but also to the proliferation of diseases. Rodents, rats, and mosquitoes thrive in these conditions, further spreading illnesses," she added.

Compounding the issue, essential medications for common skin and gastrointestinal ailments are scarce. Gaza's Health Ministry reported that 70% of medicines were missing, and specialized treatments nearly depleted.

Worse still, displaced Palestinians struggle with inadequate cleaning supplies and personal hygiene items, as water scarcity complicates the crisis.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian group Hamas.

Nearly 38,000 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and around 87,300 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Over eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.