Work has started on a new water pipeline connecting a desalination plant in Egypt to the al-Mawasi area of southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are currently living. The project, initiated by the United Arab Emirates and approved by Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, aims to provide water to around 600,000 residents and will function independently from Israel's existing water supply. Equipment for the pipeline was transferred from Egypt under supervision and security checks at the Kerem Shalom Crossing. Construction is set to begin in the coming days and is expected to take several weeks to complete.