Conditions in Gaza grew even more dire on Wednesday when the only power plant ran out of fuel, leaving the territory with no electricity, officials said.
With communities across the Gaza Strip already laid to waste by a relentless barrage of airstrikes in retaliation for the Hamas surprise attack on Israel, conditions for Palestinians grew even more dire on Wednesday when the only power plant ran out of fuel, leaving the territory with no electricity and running water, officials said.
The shutdown of the Gaza Electricity Power Plant „creates a humanitarian crisis“ for the 2.3 million residents packed in the 140 square miles comprising the Gaza Strip, Gaza authorities said in a statement Wednesday.
„This threatens to plunge the Strip into complete darkness and make it impossible to continue providing all basic life services, all of which depend on electricity, and it will not be possible to operate them partially with generators in light of the prevention of fuel supplies from Rafah Gate,“ according to the statement, which included, an „urgent appeal to the international community and its humanitarian and relief organizations to act quickly to stop this crime against humanity and this mass killing that has taken on many forms.“
„We stress the need to provide the Gaza Strip with all means of life,“ the authorities said.On ABC News Live at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12, ABC News‘ James Longman, Matt Gutman and Ian Pannell look at the horrendous toll from Hamas’ massacre, the Israelis and Palestinians caught in the middle and what comes next.
But Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces, Wednesday night that there is „no room for mercy“ for Hamas. Conricus said it is not the intention of the Israeli forces to harm civilians in Gaza, but added that Hamas has been using civilians as „human shields“ and hiding in residential areas.
He said Israel is determined to exact revenge for the atrocities Hamas committed when it stormed the border into Israel on Saturday morning and indiscriminately killed Israeli civilians.
As of Wednesday night, at least 1,200 people have died and 2,900 others have been injured in Israel since the horrific incursion commenced. Israeli officials said the armed militants went from town to town and kibbutz to kibbutz slaughtering men, women and even babies.
At a desert music festival near the Gaza border, Hamas gunmen killed 260 Israeli young people and abducted others, taking them back into Gaza, Israeli officials said. In other border communities, the terrorists went door to door, gunning down Israeli civilians and taking women, the elderly and children captive, officials said.
