Gaza 'drowning' in human waste as Israeli assault 'decimates' waste collection system

A report by a Dutch activist group has found that Palestinians in Gaza are "drowning" in human waste, after the months-long Israeli assault on the strip has brought the waste collection system to collapse.

Pax said that a combination of Israel's continuous bombardment and its fuel blockade on the strip have "decimated" the system, leaving hundreds of thousands of tonnes of uncollected human waste.

Furthermore, it said that Israeli forces are blocking access to Gaza's three official landfills, according to local authorities.

It added that the uncollected waste could form a "chemical soup" which could contaminate water supplies and farmland, and eventually "penetrate the food chain and find their way back to humans.

“While the danger for Gaza is imminent, the overall region could soon confront grave ecosystem and public health problems," the group warned.