In recent days, a massive and uncontrollable fire has been raging in a garbage dump site, located east of the Gaza Strip. As a result of this ongoing crisis, the Gaza City municipality declared a state of emergency on Sunday, as the heavy smoke not only poses a threat to the residents of the Gaza Strip but also affects those living in Israeli communities near the Gaza border.
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A statement issued by the Gaza City municipality, said that "intensive efforts are currently underway by municipal rescue teams, in coordination with civilian teams and the Ministry of Public Works, to gain control over the fire and prevent its further spread."
The municipality in Gaza added that the fire is spreading and intensifying due to high temperatures and strong winds. It also emphasized that officials are in communication with international and humanitarian organizations to contain the blaze and prevent an environmental disaster.
In Gaza, officials issued a warning that, if the fire continues to spread, the garbage dump site may need to be closed. This could almost certainly result in an environmental and health catastrophe for the neighborhoods that send their waste to the site. Approximately 1,000 tons of waste arrive there daily, serving eight local authorities in the strip.
Israeli communities in the vicinity of Gaza also have been suffering from the effects of the fire since Friday. Smoke has reached communities from Nahal Oz to Alumim in the north and to the communities of the Eshkol Regional Council in the south. Residents have been advised to keep their windows closed.
"Above us, there's been a huge cloud of smoke since Friday, so thick that it even obscures the sun. The smell is terrible, and it feels suffocating. We understood it was because of a dump site that was on fire in Gaza. We can't ignore it. The entire border is covered in white smoke, and we can't see anything. There's a pungent smell, like something chemical. It's a real health hazard," said a resident of Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha.
This is not the first time that fires have erupted at waste disposal sites in the Gaza Strip, and the impact is felt by the residents of the surrounding areas since the prevailing winds in most hours of the day come from the west. In the past, despite security tensions, the IDF and Gaza authorities have cooperated to expedite firefighting efforts.