DaysofPal—The Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza has confirmed that the Israeli occupation continues to perpetrate horrific crimes against Palestinian civilians through a systematic and deliberate thirst warfare, in blatant violation of all international and humanitarian laws.
Water is being used as a weapon of collective extermination, stripping the population of their most basic human rights.
In an official statement, the GMO revealed that the occupation has committed 112 massacres targeting lines for collecting fresh water, most of the victims being children who were simply trying to access drinking water. The latest massacre occurred in the “New Camp” northwest of Al-Nuseirat in central Gaza, resulting in 12 civilian deaths, including 8 children.
The statement added that Israel deliberately destroyed 720 water wells, rendering them inoperable and depriving more than 1.25 million people of access to clean water. In addition, the occupation has blocked the entry of 12 million liters of fuel per month, the minimum required to operate water wells, sewage treatment plants, and other vital services, causing near-total paralysis of the water and sanitation infrastructure and escalating the spread of disease, especially among children.
The GMO pointed out that since January 23, 2025, Israel has cut off Mekorot water, the last remaining supply source for Gaza’s governorates, exacerbating the thirst crisis. On March 9, 2025, Israel also cut the last power line operating the central water desalination plant in southern Deir al-Balah, halting the production of large quantities of drinking water and intensifying the already dire water crisis.
The GMO held the Israeli occupation fully responsible for these compounded crimes, describing the situation in Gaza as a massive, deliberate thirst crime carried out amidst global silence and direct and indirect complicity from European and Western countries—particularly the United States, Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, who are involved in supporting or turning a blind eye to what it called an ongoing genocide.
The statement emphasized that this thirst policy constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Conventions and a serious violation of international humanitarian and human rights law. The office stressed that these crimes will not expire with time, and that the Palestinian people remain steadfast in their right to a dignified life.
The GMO called on the international community, UN bodies, and legal institutions to urgently intervene to halt the thirst warfare, ensure unhindered access to water, and pressure the occupation to allow fuel and equipment needed to operate water and sanitation facilities into Gaza. It also called for the immediate opening of an international investigation into the thirst crime as part of the broader genocide against civilians in Gaza, and demanded that the Israeli occupation be held accountable in international courts, with its criminal leaders prosecuted.
The statement concluded by affirming that the Palestinian people will continue to expose these crimes to the world until full justice is achieved.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=65754
