Israel turns water into slow-kill weapon against Palestinians: Gaza government

GAZA CITY, Palestine/ANKARA

The Gaza government's media office warned on Saturday that Israel has turned water into a slow-kill weapon systematically denying Palestinians in Gaza access to clean water and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

In a statement, the media office described Israel’s actions as part of “a broader strategy of collective punishment.”

The office condemned the continued interruption of water supplies, including the severing of crucial water lines, destruction of wells and water stations, and the cutting of electricity and fuel supplies needed to operate water and sanitation facilities.

It highlighted Israel’s recent disruption of two key water lines from the Israeli company Mekorot, which supply more than 35,000 cubic meters (over 1.2 million cubic feet) of water daily to over 700,000 Palestinians in the eastern and central regions of Gaza.

According to the office, Israel also cut the electricity supply to the water desalination plant in Deir al-Balah, located in central Gaza, halting its operations entirely and leaving 800,000 people in the central and Khan Younis areas at risk of severe water shortages.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel has destroyed over 90% of Gaza's water and sewage infrastructure, while preventing repair teams from reaching the damaged facilities.

The Gaza government reiterated its calls for the international community to intervene and hold Israel accountable for “an attempt to weaponize water” and further contribute to the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.

The Israeli army renewed a deadly assault on Gaza on March 18, shattering the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement that took hold in January.

More than 50,900 Palestinians, most of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza in a brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.