GAZA CITY, Palestine / ISTANBUL

Nearly one million Palestinians displaced to Israel’s designated “safe zone” in southern Gaza are enduring extreme water shortages, with families saying their children are falling sick.

Displaced residents in the coastal strip of al-Mawasi near Khan Younis told Anadolu that they spend long days without a single drop of clean water, often waiting five to six days for distribution trucks to arrive.

“We share what little we receive, but it never lasts. Children are thirsty, sick, and even our clothes remain unwashed because there is no water,” one resident, who preferred to remain unnamed, said in Najat camp, where more than 1,200 people live in tents set just 25 centimeters apart.

Another man said the crisis has worsened in recent weeks as tens of thousands more Palestinians fled from Gaza City under intensifying Israeli attacks.

He warned that children in the zone are suffering from dehydration and communicable diseases due to the lack of hygiene.

The Mawasi area has been repeatedly bombed by the Israeli army during the war, despite being designated a “safe zone,” killing hundreds of civilians sheltering there. Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians live in dire humanitarian conditions in the overcrowded strip of land.

Thirst used as weapon

The Gaza Government Media Office said in July that Israeli forces have destroyed at least 112 water-filling stations and 720 wells since October 2023, systematically dismantling the enclave’s water network.

Families described long lines of women and children waiting with empty containers for limited supplies, while municipalities and rights groups accuse Israel of using thirst as a weapon against civilians.

Last month, the UN humanitarian office reported that 96% of households in Gaza lack secure access to water, while nine in 10 Palestinians cannot obtain drinking water.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) also warned of “catastrophic” conditions as soaring summer heat compounded the shortage.

UN investigators recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where more than 65,300 people have been killed since October 2023.