Israel says Gaza desalination plant connected to its electrical grid

GAZA (AFP): 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.

“A new power line from Israel has been directly connected to a water desalination plant managed by UNICEF in Khan Yunis,” said a statement from the Israeli army and the COGAT agency, referring to the United Nations children’s fund.

A source at Gaza’s Electricity Distribution Corporation said the beleaguered utility was “preparing for the possibility of them (Israel) operating the line”.

Colonel Elad Goren of COGAT told a press briefing that Israel would provide electricity “once they fix the lines from the Gazan side… in a week or two.”

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’s 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’s capacity.

UNICEF has welcomed an agreement with Israel to begin supplying the Khan Yunis plant again.

“This is an important milestone, and we are very much looking forward to seeing it implemented”, UNICEF spokesman in the Palestinian territories, Jonathan Crickx, told AFP.

Water has been scarce for Gaza’s 2.4 million inhabitants since the war erupted with the Hamas attacks on Israel. Sixty percent of the territory’s water distribution systems have been damaged, Crickx said.

After the Hamas attack, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced “a complete siege” on Gaza with “no electricity, no water, no gas”. Aid groups say Gaza is now gripped by a humanitarian crisis.

“Currently, 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”, the Israeli statement said.