Israel and the Palestinian Authority share the southern Mediterranean coastal aquifer. Long-term overexploitation in the Gaza Strip has resulted in a decreasing water table, accompanied by the degradation of its water quality. Due to high levels of salinity and nitrate and boron pollution, most of the ground water is inadequate for both domestic and agricultural consumption. The rapid rate of p...

OBJECTIVE To assess the contamination level of total and faecal coliforms in water wells and distribution networks, and their association with human health in Gaza Governorate, Gaza Strip. METHODS Data were obtained from the Palestinian Ministry of Health on contamination of total and faecal coliforms in water wells and distribution networks, and on the incidence of water-related diseases in ...

KEyWorDS Because of the importance of the Wadi Gaza as a unique ecosystem in Gaza Governorates, it was declared a nature reserve in June 2000. Wadi Gaza Nature Reserve was established to conserve the wetland ecosystem, to stop or slow the degradation of its natural resources and biological diversity and to promote measures for their eventual rehabilitation. Wadi Gaza represents a unique habitat...

BACKGROUND The main objective of the study was the assessment of the prevalence and the identification of species of human gastrointestinal parasites as an indicator of the pollution of the seashore of Gaza City. METHODS The investigation was conducted by analysis of the parasitic contamination of seawater along the study area. A total of 52 samples of seawater were analyzed during the summer...

BACKGROUND To date, studies on the outcomes of a shared war reality among mental health professionals (MHPs) in southern Israel have focused only on those residing and working in Otef Gaza. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of different exposure levels to shared trauma on the professional quality of life of MHPs in southern Israel. This study compares the level of secondary traum...

On September 2000, the Al Aqsa Itifada erupted. Palestinian children and families have been exposed to a variety of traumatic events, ranging from hearing of killing, to bombardment by helicopters at the entire Gaza Strip. The current conflict differs from the previous Intifada, in which events such as night and day raids were common occurrence in previous Intifada (1987-1993). Shelling and bom...

Seven years of monitoring groundwater in the Gaza Strip has shown that nitrate was and still is a major groundwater pollutant. The objectives of this research were to study the distribution of NO(3)(-) in the groundwater of the Gaza Strip and to identify the sources of NO(3)(-) in the Gaza aquifer system by assessing nitrogen and oxygen isotopes. The most recent samples collected in 2007 showed...

In August of 2014, Manduca P et al. published “An open letter for the people in Gaza” in The Lancet. This letter was the response of those authors to their perspective of what was happening in Gaza during the summer-long conflict between Israel and Gaza. Israel was finally responding to years of bombardment from Gaza into civilian areas in the south of Israel. Two of the authors of the letters ...

Suicidal attempts in Gaza Strip progressively increased due to bad socio-economical situation. So far, suicidal attempts may be occurred via intentional swelling medical drugs, agrochemicals such as pesticides, industrial chemicals such as detergents and disinfectants, and/or contaminated food. Ingestion of pesticide becomes the easiest way for suicidal attempts. However, ingestion of pesticide...

OBJECTIVE To assess anaemia prevalence and correlated social and biological determinants among pregnant women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt). DESIGN A cross-sectional survey conducted among pregnant women attending/accessing UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) health centres in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank in September and Oc...