Israel has connected a power line to a main desalination plant in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip to provide additional drinking water. This move aims to increase water supply, improving humanitarian conditions amidst the ongoing conflict. The new power connection ensures that Hamas cannot exploit the energy supply.

Israel has connected a power line to a main desalination plant in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip to provide additional drinking water to Palestinian residents in the war-torn enclave, Israel's military said on Tuesday. The power line goes directly from Israel to a U.N.-managed desalination plant in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, so that Hamas cannot exploit the new energy supply, according to a statement by the Israeli military and COGAT, the agency for civilian coordination with the Palestinians.

Production will jump fourfold to 20,000 cubic metres of drinking water per day from, the statement said. That is far from enough to supply the population of Gaza, which has been devastated by nine months of war.

"The increase in supply of water is a further step taken to support humanitarian efforts for Gazan residents, and to prevent contamination and outbreaks of disease during the summer months," the statement said. Israel has been under growing international pressure to allow in more aid and supplies to relieve the humanitarian crisis.

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