Gaza: A fire that started in a landfill in a village near Israel on Thursday prompted a call for assistance from Gaza officials, who warned that it could rage for days and result in "an environmental catastrophe."

As night fell, a thick cloud of heavy smoke billowed into the sky, filling Gaza City with a potent smell of burning trash.

The fire started "in the eastern part of a landfill in Juhr Al-Deek, southeast of Gaza City, near the separation fence, for reasons that have yet to be confirmed," the Gaza municipality said in a statement. We worry that a landfill environmental catastrophe could occur if the fire spreads throughout the facility.

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It continued that local fire departments lacked the resources necessary to contain the fire. The authority requested assistance from international agencies in putting out the fire and pressure on Israel to lift its blockade so that equipment could enter.

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Since the islamist Hamas movement seized control of the heavily populated coastal enclave in 2007, Israel has enforced a blockade of Gaza, restricting the movement of people and goods, citing security concerns.

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Palestinians claim that these limitations, which include those on what Israel refers to as "dual-use" items that might be used for military purposes, have seriously hampered their ability to respond to emergencies.

In a refugee camp in the north of the strip, a residential building caught fire in November of last year, killing 21 family members and injuring many more.