Israeli bombs kill 100 Gazans in single day
At least 100 Gazans have been killed in Israeli bombardment
on Tuesday, Gaza
officials have said, hours after shells hit the enclave's only power station, reports Aljazeera.
A thick column of black smoke was seen rising from the power
station on Tuesday, mingling with other plumes sent into the air by Israeli
shelling.
Bombs hit the power station's generator.
Jamal Dardasawi, a spokesman for the electricity
distribution company, warned that Gaza
would be engulfed in "a humanitarian crisis within hours" if no
immediate action was taken to secure power supplies.
"This will affect hospitals and water. All aspects of
life are endangered," Dardasawi said.
Rafiq Maliha, the director of the power station, told Al
Jazeera that two turbines were directly hit, adding that the plant would not be
operational for up to a year.
At full capacity, the station provided Gaza with 80mw of electricity but had been
generating only 50-60mw before it was bombed. The lines to outside power
sources provided an additional 120mw of electricity, Dardawasi said.
"This amount of power can't be distributed technically
into other parts of Gaza
and it's not even enough for Rafah city," he said.
"Today, all Gaza Strip is without power, we can't talk
about percentages."
With the facility now shut down and most power lines from Israel severed, Palestinians in Gaza
will be forced to depend on electricity bought from neighbouring Egypt .
Said al-Soudi, the head of Gaza 's civil defence ministry, said technical
crews had succeeded in putting out a fire at the station.
He told Al Jazeera that he received an emergency call about
the shelling at 5.30am, but only reached the facility three hours later, after
securing safe passage to the site through the Red Cross.
"Despite the coordination, shells were still
landing," he said.
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