Israel blowing up of drinking water reservoir ‘crime against humanity’: Rafah municipality

The municipality of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip condemned, on Monday, the Israeli army’s bombing of a drinking water reservoir in the Tal Al-Sultan neighbourhood as a grave violation of humanitarian norms, Anadolu Agency reports.

“The Israeli soldiers’ detonation of the main water reservoir in Tal Al-Sultan is a crime against humanity and perpetuates a policy of collective punishment,” Ahmed Soufi, the Mayor of Rafah, said in a statement.

The incident has raised alarm about the worsening water crisis in the area.

“The destruction of the water reservoir will exacerbate the crisis in the city, and we urge involved international entities to intervene and halt the Israeli occupation’s crimes,” the Mayor said.

Earlier on Monday, the Israeli army acknowledged that their soldiers were responsible for the bombing of the water reservoir in Tal Al-Sultan. According to the Israeli daily, Haaretz, an investigation into the incident has been initiated.

One of the soldiers posted a video of the explosion on social media with the caption “Destruction of the Tel Sultan water reservoir in honour of Shabbat,” the daily said.

In recent days, activists circulated a video on social media showing an Israeli soldier planting an explosive device at the main water reservoir in Tal Al-Sultan, followed by the detonation.

Local institutions and municipalities in Gaza have repeatedly accused the Israeli military of deliberately destroying water networks, wells and desalination plants, exacerbating the drinking water crisis.

Also, fuel restrictions imposed by Israel have further hindered the operation of remaining desalination facilities in the region.

Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since a 7 October, 2023 attack by Hamas.

More than 39,360 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 90,900 injured, according to local health authorities.

Over nine months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on 6 May.

READ: Israel occupation forces claim water reservoir blown up without order from Southern Command