DaysofPal- In the besieged Gaza Strip, clean water—a fundamental human right—has become a luxury that over 1.5 million people struggle to access daily.
The Israeli occupation’s systematic targeting of water infrastructure, coupled with fuel shortages and the destruction of desalination plants, has plunged Gaza into an unprecedented water crisis. As temperatures rise and displacement intensifies, the lack of potable water threatens not only survival but also public health, exacerbating the suffering of a population already enduring relentless bombardment, starvation, and blockade.
A Daily Struggle for Survival
For Umm Nael Masoud, a resident of Saftawi in her fifties, securing water has become a grueling ordeal. Each morning, she waits for hours beside her water tank, hoping a truck will arrive to fill it. Often, the trucks fail to show up, leaving her and others empty-handed. “The wait is unbearable,” she says, clutching her aching joints. “Sometimes I return home with nothing after standing here for an hour or more.”
Her journey to fetch water takes her nearly 200 meters from her home—an arduous task made worse by chronic joint pain. For thousands like Umm Nael, the absence of reliable water sources has turned what should be a basic necessity into a life-threatening challenge.
Sami Murad, a father of five living in Shuja’iyya, echoes this despair. “We haven’t had clean, drinkable water for days,” he says. His family, displaced from eastern areas following evacuation orders issued by the Israeli occupation forces, now relies on sporadic water deliveries that rarely meet their needs. “Water is a human right,” Murad pleads. “It shouldn’t be used as a weapon or bargaining chip in this bloody conflict.”
Targeting Water Infrastructure
Israeli deliberate targeting of Gaza’s water infrastructure has left the territory reeling. Desalination plants, wells, and pipelines have been repeatedly struck during airstrikes, rendering many facilities inoperable. According to Maher Salem, Director General of Planning, Water, and Sanitation at the Gaza Municipality, approximately 63 wells have been destroyed since the onset of hostilities in October 2023.
The central desalination plant northwest of Gaza City—the primary source of potable water for much of the population—was also obliterated early in the war. With fuel shortages crippling remaining facilities, the percentage of areas receiving water has plummeted to less than 25%. Before the war, Mekorot, the Israeli national water company, supplied around 20% of Gaza City’s daily water needs. However, post-aggression, dependence on Mekorot surged to 70%, making its recent shutdown catastrophic.
On Thursday, the Mekorot pipeline passing through Shuja’iyya was damaged, cutting off water supplies entirely. For six consecutive days, Gazans endured thirst as repair crews awaited permission to access the site. Salem warns that the consequences of such prolonged interruptions are dire, particularly as rising temperatures increase water demand.
Public Health in Peril
The scarcity of safe drinking water has forced many families to resort to unsafe alternatives. Abu Ali, a 40-year-old resident of the tunnel area, describes how his children suffer from diarrhea and infections after consuming contaminated water intended for domestic use. “We buy bottled water when we can afford it,” he says, “but even then, it’s not enough.”
Others have turned to well or seawater for household purposes, exposing themselves to skin and digestive diseases. Salem emphasizes that well water, though abundant, is unfit for human consumption due to high salinity and pollution levels. Meanwhile, Mekorot water, known for its quality, remains inaccessible for vast swaths of the population.
The combination of dehydration and disease poses a grave threat to public health. Salem warns that without immediate intervention, the water crisis could spiral into a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe, claiming countless lives through preventable illnesses.
“Thirst” as a Tool of Genocide
Human rights advocates argue that Israeli crimes constitute a deliberate strategy to subjugate Gaza’s civilian population. By targeting water infrastructure and restricting access to essential resources, the occupation seeks to create conditions so unbearable that residents are compelled to flee their homes.
Eng. Maher Salem accuses Israeli occupation of employing “thirst” alongside “starvation” as weapons in its genocidal war against Palestinians. Since October 2023, over 164,000 Gazans—mostly women and children—have been killed or injured. The destruction of water facilities fits squarely within this broader campaign of annihilation.
International legal experts concur. Dr. Essam Abdeen, an expert in international criminal law, explains that depriving civilians of water violates multiple provisions of international humanitarian law. Under Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), deliberately denying access to essential resources like water constitutes a war crime. Similarly, the Geneva Conventions prohibit the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including water systems.
Despite these clear violations, Western powers, led by the United States, continue to shield Israeli occupation from accountability. This complicity emboldens the occupation to escalate its atrocities, deepening the suffering of Gaza’s people.
A Plea for Humanity
Residents like Sami Murad and activists like Salem implore the international community to intervene. They call for pressure on Israeli occupation to halt its targeting of civilian infrastructure, allow repairs to damaged facilities, and ensure the uninterrupted flow of fuel and equipment needed to operate desalination plants.
“Water is life,” Murad insists. “If the world truly cares about human rights, they must act now to protect ours.”
As the war drags on, the resilience of Gaza’s people is being tested to its limits. Yet, without urgent action, the specter of mass dehydration looms large, threatening to extinguish hope alongside lives. The question remains: Will the world stand silent as Israeli occupation wages war not just on bodies but on the very essence of survival?
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