Israeli authorities opened up dams just to the east of the border with the Gaza Strip earlier on Friday, said Chairman of the Gaza government's Disaster Response Committee Yasser Shanti in a press conference.

He warned that the move by Israeli authorities would flood areas in Moghraqa and other parts of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza.

Gaza's rescue service has evacuated more than 4,000 people from homes flooded after Israeli authorities opened up the dams.

The Gaza Strip is currently under a state of emergency due to severe weather conditions caused by a historic storm front.

Fuel shortages have caused daily life in the Gaza Strip to grind slowly to a halt since early November, as power plants and water pumps are forced to shut down, cutting off access to basic necessities for Gaza residents.

Lack of diesel fuel is a result of the tightening of a seven-year-long blockade imposed on the territory by the Israeli regime, with backing from Egypt's military-installed interim government.

The Gaza Strip has been under a severe economic blockade imposed by the Tel Aviv regime since 2006.

RA/MB