After Israel cut off supplies, Gaza’s sole power station has run out of fuel, forcing it to shut down, reports said on Wednesday.
Israel has blocked fuel shipments into the Gaza Strip as part of what the Benjamin Netanyahu government has called a “complete siege” on the territory run by the Hamas militant group.
“Gaza is currently without power,” Gaza power authority head Galal Ismail told CNN.
Ismail said people can still use power generators for electricity, but with a blockade on all sides of the border, the fuel needed for the generators to work is running out.
Media reports indicated that Israeli strikes had demolished entire neighbourhoods of Gaza, with airstrikes smashing the entire city blocks to rubble in the tiny coastal enclave and leaving unknown numbers of bodies beneath mounds of debris.
Israel has vowed unprecedented retaliation after the Hamas militants stormed through the border fence on Saturday and gunned down hundreds of Israelis in their homes, on the streets and at an outdoor music festival.
More than 1,000 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes on Gaza.
The war, which has already claimed at least 2,200 lives on both sides, is expected to escalate and compound the misery of people living in Gaza, where basic necessities and electricity were already in short supply, reported the Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Tel Aviv urged its citizens to remain ‘calm and vigilant” and reassured them that it is “monitoring the situation closely”.
“This is to assure you that the embassy is working constantly for your safety and welfare. All of us are going through very difficult times but please do remain calm and vigilant and follow the local security guidelines," India's Ambassador to Israel Sanjeev Singla said in a post on X.
“We are here to help you, and we thank many of you who have sent so many messages of appreciation to us. We are monitoring the situation closely and please stay tuned for any updates from the embassy. Jai Hind,” he said.