The cesspool disaster in a village in Gaza which caused the deaths of five people - including two babies - was caused by sand theft, according to Gaza mayor Majid Abu Ramadan. Ramadan claims that local residents stole sand from the embankment surrounding the pool in order to sell it to building contractors.
The head of the Palestinian Authority's Environment Authority, Dr. Yusef Spaya, Tuesday blamed Israel for the disaster. He claimed that Sweden and the EU had given the PA funds for creation of a modern sewage system and a pipe to carry the waste to the sea, but the IDF "threatened to shell the pipe" if construction began.
