News- Middle East: After announcing their plans to level and take control of Gaza City, Israeli regime forces have in recent days launched a full-fledged military assault on the Zaitoun neighborhood.

The attack, which is part of the Israeli military's goal of expelling Palestinians from Gaza, has already destroyed at least 400 homes and displaced around 90,000 residents.

Gaza City, home to roughly one million people, now counts nearly 200,000 displaced residents—half the entire population of the besieged and war-ravaged Gaza Strip.

We spoke with Asem Al-Nabih, spokesperson for the Gaza Municipality, to understand the situation on the ground and how the municipality has shifted its focus to crisis management amid the ongoing genocide.

Following are excerpts from the interview:

Q. Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role at the Gaza municipality?

A. I currently serve as the spokesperson for Gaza Municipality, as well as a member of its Emergency Committee.

Since October 2023, I have been working with my colleagues to document the catastrophic destruction, coordinate emergency responses under fire, and speak to the world about what is happening on the ground.

My role is both technical and humanitarian, communicating the reality of daily life, amplifying the voices of people under genocide, and trying to mobilize resources for survival and reconstruction.

Q. What areas of Gaza does the municipality cover and how many people does it serve?

A. The Gaza Municipality covers Gaza City, the largest urban area in the Strip. Before the war, Gaza City had a population of around 800,000 residents, but today the number has swelled due to displacement from northern and central areas.

In practice, our services now extend to over one million people seeking refuge, many of them in makeshift shelters, tents, or crowded public buildings.

Q. Has the municipality been able to carry out its operations amid the ongoing genocide?

A. The truth is, we have not been able to operate normally. Israel’s continuous bombardment has paralyzed municipal systems, deprived us of fuel and equipment, and destroyed many of our facilities.

Yet we continue in emergency mode, focusing on basic survival, distributing scarce water resources, responding to sanitation issues, collecting solid waste and removing debris to open blocked streets.

Q. Have any of the Gaza Municipality’s facilities been targeted? If so, can you tell us how this has affected its operations?

A. Many of our facilities have been targeted amid the ongoing war. Our main municipal headquarters, several service garages, and workshops have been destroyed. Even our solid waste trucks and bulldozers were bombed.

This deliberate targeting cripples our ability to deliver services, especially waste collection and water pumping.

The destruction is not collateral; it is systematic.

Q. What are the main services that the Gaza municipality provides to city's residents?

A. Traditionally, the Gaza Municipality has provided a wide range of services:

●        Water supply (pumping and distribution)

●        Sanitation and sewage management

●        Solid waste collection and landfill operations

●        Public markets and street maintenance

●        Parks and public spaces

All of these are critical for daily urban life.

Source: Press TV