Israeli dam burst hits Gaza farmers

Sewage water poured into the Gaza Strip

The dam of an Israeli reservoir near the border with the Gaza Strip has burst, flooding Palestinian and Israeli farmland.

Millions of cubic metres of sewage water swamped fields near the Israeli border town of Nahal Oz, before reaching low-lying areas of Palestinian-owned farmland and drowning thousands of livestock.

A large number of farms in the area have been totally destroyed - I consider the area a disaster area and Israel is responsible

Environment Minister Youssef Abou Safia

Palestinian Environment Minister Youssef Abou Safia described the flooding as a disaster, saying it had damaged agriculture in northern Gaza and affected hundreds of homes.

An Israeli water company official said faulty construction of the dam, which had been filled for the first time this year, could be to blame.

Israeli aid

The reservoir was intended for summer use by farmers.

Palestinian farmers drove tractors and trucks through muddy water, trying to rescue livestock, while Israeli soldiers at a nearby army base were evacuated by armoured personnel carriers.

Palestinian-owned farmland has been destroyed

"I don't know how much I have left because of the water," Ali Hussein, 42, said as he carried a rescued sheep over his shoulder.

"Almost all of my animals were in the water and killed. I also lost my three strawberry greenhouses."

Another farmer, Ahmad Abu Ishaq, said he had lost 10,000 chickens.

Israel has said it was ready to offer help to the Palestinians.

Officials from the two sides are cooperating to contain the damage, an Israeli government spokesman said.

Israel's Infrastructures Ministry plans to investigate the bursting of the dam.