The Israeli military operation launched on July 8 in the Gaza Strip to stop Palestinian militants' rocket attacks is taking a toll on infrastructure and construction operations on both sides, particularly as fighting intensified at month's end after a month of on-and-off cease-fires.
Israeli shelling of nearby fuel tanks on July 29 knocked out Gaza's only power plant, which supplies two-thirds of electricity to Hamas-controlled Gaza City and nearby areas, according to a Reuters report. An energy ministry official said damage reports indicate the plant, which serves an estimated 1.8 million people, could be out of operation for one year.