An Oxfam report titled ‘Water War Crimes’ accused Israel systematically uses water “as a weapon of war” against Palestinians in Gaza, “showing disregard for human life and international law,” the organization said.
According to the criteria of
The aforementioned entity states that Israel damaged or destroyed five water and sanitation sites every three days since the beginning of this war.
In addition, Oxfam recorded the cutting off of external water supplies by Israel, the systematic destruction of water facilities and the deliberate obstruction of aid have reduced the amount of 94% of water available in Gaza.
This means around 4.74 liters per day per person, which is just under a third of the minimum recommended in emergencies. To put the severity of the situation into perspective, that is less than what is needed to unload the toilet just once, he said.
In addition, the analysis developed found that as a result of the Israeli military attacks, water resources infrastructure has been severely affected, either damaged or completely destroyed.
Due to the collateral impact on water and electricity and even restrictions on the entry of spare parts and fuel (on average a fifth of the required amount is allowed), the Water production in Gaza has fallen by 84%, Oxfam added.
External supply from Israel’s national water company, Mekorot, decreased by 78%. In addition, “Israel has destroyed 70 percent of all sewage pumps and 100 percent of all sewage treatment plants, as well as the main water quality testing laboratories in Gaza,” the organization said.
“The city has lost almost all of its water production capacity, with 88% of its water wells and 100% of its desalination plants damaged or destroyed,” he said.
Oxfam also restricted the entry of its water testing equipment, preventing it from measuring water quality.
Impact on the population of Gaza
This situation has a serious impact on the health of Palestinians due to the extreme lack of clean water and sanitation, with more than one A quarter (26%) of Gaza’s population is seriously suffering from easily preventable diseases.
For his part, Oxfam’s water and sanitation specialist, Lama Abdul Samad, She noted that it was clear to her that Israel had created a devastating humanitarian emergency resulting in the deaths of civilians.
“We have already seen Israel’s use of collective punishment and the use of hunger as a weapon of war. Now We are witnessing the use of water as a weapon, which is already having deadly consequences,” the expert added.
He also said that deliberately restricting access to water was not a new tactic: “The Israeli government has been depriving Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza of safe and sufficient water for many years.”
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