Israel floods Gaza after opening dam gates

The Israeli occupation authorities on Monday flooded the middle and southern areas of the blockaded Gaza Strip with rainwater after opening its dam gates, Quds Press reported.

Dozens of homes and hundreds of acres of farmland were flooded, leaving many people homeless and crops damaged in the Qarara neighbourhood, east of Khan Younis.

Deputy Minister for Local Governance, Zuhdi al Ghreez, said that large swathes of the city of Deir al Balah, in the middle sector of the Gaza Strip were submerged with water coming from the Israeli dams.

Gaza has been affected by extreme cold and abundant rain since Friday. Forecasters expect the spell would end today.

READ: Rainfall floods Gaza’s streets

Several areas across the Gaza Strip suffered from heavy rainwater entering their homes as large parts of the infrastructure set for drainage to the sea were damaged during the repeated Israeli assaults on the besieged coastal enclave.

Palestinian municipalities across the Gaza Strip have been doing their best to keep life functioning and prevent damage to streets, homes, and different infrastructures. Their tasks have been compounded by the lack of adequate equipment due to the Israeli ban on the entry of different emergency tools.