Gaza faces thirst crisis amid destruction of water infrastructure causing additional crimes of genocide

In the central camps of the Gaza Strip — Deir al-Balah, Nuseirat, Bureij, Zawaida, Maghazi, and Al-Masdar — residents now mostly rely on salty water that is only partially treated, after the Deir al-Balah desalination plant went out of service due to power outages and Israel’s refusal to allow fuel needed to run its generators

Central and southern Gaza are facing one of the worst humanitarian crises, with over 1.5 million Palestinians at serious risk of severe thirst. Most water desalination plants have almost completely stopped working due to fuel shortages, as temperatures continue to rise to record levels.

The water crisis has worsened recently after the Israeli occupation authorities shut down the “Mekorot” water pipeline — one of Gaza’s main sources of fresh water since the beginning of the war in October 2023.

In the central camps of the Gaza Strip — Deir al-Balah, Nuseirat, Bureij, Zawaida, Maghazi, and Al-Masdar — residents now mostly rely on salty water that is only partially treated, after the Deir al-Balah desalination plant went out of service due to power outages and Israel’s refusal to allow fuel needed to run its generators.

Meanwhile, Khan Younis in the south, which hosts around 1.2 million displaced people in the Al-Mawasi area, now depends on seawater for daily needs such as washing, bathing, and cleaning. This comes after Israeli forces destroyed a large number of water wells during their invasion of the cemeteries and slaughterhouse areas.

READ: Israel refuses to renew visas for heads of 3 UN agencies in Gaza

According to Gaza’s Government Media Office, the occupation is carrying out a “Systematic thirst war”, during which more than 112 massacres were committed against civilians while they were trying to access water. These attacks have led to the killing of over 700 Palestinians — most of them children — and injured thousands more.

The office revealed that the occupation forces deliberately destroyed over 720 water wells and deprived around 1.25 million Palestinians of access to clean water. In addition, Israel has blocked the entry of 12 million litres of fuel each month, leading to the shutdown of desalination and sewage treatment plants, and the collapse of waste management systems — all of which have contributed to the spread of disease, especially among children.

READ: UNICEF: Israeli attacks killing 28 children daily in Gaza

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