A Palestinian woman puts a diaper on a horse, in an effort to keep the streets clean, in Deir Al Balah, central GAza Strip, on Wednesday. Reuters

As well as the smell and flies they attracts, piles of manure are an unsightly blight, said municipal sanitary worker Saher Khattab, who drives a horse-drawn cart to collect garbage.

The bags, attached to the rump of donkeys and horses that ply the streets, are intended to eliminate the problem at the source, at the same time collecting a source of natural fertiliser that can be used in nearby farm land.

"We are keen to preserve a clean environment, keep our streets clean, and maintain a civilized situation," said Anwar Al Ghawash, one of a group of activists promoting the initiative in Deir Al Balah town in the southern Gaza Strip.

Reuters