The report, ‘Water War Crimes’, finds that Israel’s cutting of external water supplies, systematic destruction of water facilities and deliberate aid obstruction have reduced the amount of water available in Gaza by 94 percent.
“Israel has destroyed 70% of all sewage pumps and 100% of all wastewater treatment plants, as well as the main water quality testing laboratories in Gaza,” the charity said, adding that Tel Aviv also restricted the entry of water testing equipment.
“Gaza City has lost nearly all its water production capacity, with 88% of its water wells and 100% of its desalination plants damaged or destroyed. ”
The report also highlighted the dire impact of this extreme lack of clean water and sanitation on Palestinians’ health, with more than a quarter of Gaza’s population falling severely ill from easily preventable diseases.
“We’ve already seen Israel’s use of collective punishment and its use of starvation as a weapon of war. Now we are witnessing its weaponizing of water, which is already having deadly consequences,” Oxfam Water and Sanitation Specialist Lama Abdul Samad said.