Gaza’s destroyed sewage system linked to ‘rare’ algae bloom shutting Israeli desalination plants

Gaza’s destroyed sewage system linked to ‘rare’ algae bloom shutting Israeli desalination plants Submitted by MEE staff on Sat, 09/05/2026 - 14:28 Five of Israel’s six water plants shut as scientists probe whether Gaza wastewater fuelled the bloom A worker inspects a valve at the Southern Gaza desalination plant, which stopped working after Israel cut off the electricity supply to the Gaza Strip on 10 March 2025 (Eyad Baba/AFP) Off Untreated sewage from Gaza may have helped cause a huge algae bloom that shut down five of Israel’s six major desalination plants on the Mediterranean, Israeli news outlet Ynet has reported . Scientists are trying to assess possible environmental fallout from Gaza’s destroyed wastewater infrastructure, the report said. In an alarming development, the algae bloom spread along Israel's Mediterranean coast, disrupting seawater desalination plants that provide much of the country's drinking water, CNN reported , citing Mekorot, Israel's national water company.