According to a new report by Oxfam published Thursday, Israel has been systematically using water as a weapon of war against Palestinians in Gaza, showing disregard for human life and violating international law.
Oxfam stated that since the 1993 Oslo Accords, the Israeli government “has used water deprivation to dehumanize and ultimately threaten Palestinian lives.”
The near-total destruction of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure by the Israeli military “has significantly contributed to the catastrophic deterioration of living conditions in Gaza.”
The report revealed that the water supply in Gaza has been reduced by 94 percent, leaving people with less than 5 liters a day per person, which is less than a single toilet flush and just under a third of the recommended minimum in emergencies.
This situation has drawn the attention of many international legal and water experts, who argue that Israel has weaponized water with military tactics and policies that have deprived Palestinians of water and sanitation.
“Israel’s actions have deprived the entire population of Gaza of lifesaving water and sanitation services, creating unavoidable immediate and long-term threats to people’s health and survival,” Oxfam warned.
This issue arises as Israel faces accusations from the United Nations and other human rights organizations of using starvation as a weapon of war.
Oxfam reported that a lack of clean water and sanitation has led to a quarter of Gaza’s population falling ill from easily preventable diseases. The Israeli government has been accused of instigating the water shortage by cutting off the external water supply, destroying water facilities, and deliberately obstructing aid from reaching Palestinians in Gaza.
“These acts collectively, combined with continuous bombardment by Israel, have obliterated the capacity of humanitarian actors to provide even minimal lifesaving emergency services to the people of Gaza and crippled efforts to restore water production. They have also caused widespread contamination by sewage, threatening the lives of Palestinians,” the NGO added.
Since the start of the Israeli war on Gaza, five water infrastructure sites have been damaged every three days, while 70% of all sewage pumps and 100% of all wastewater treatment plants have been destroyed, according to Oxfam.
Earlier this year, the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry warned that Israel holds the entire population of the Gaza Strip hostage. “Statements from Israeli officials show their intent to instrumentalize the provision of basic necessities, including food, medicine, water, fuel, and electricity, to hold the entire population of the Gaza Strip hostage to pursue political and military objectives,” it said.
Oxfam emphasized the catastrophic impact on public health in Gaza, with cases of waterborne diseases skyrocketing. The organization called on Israeli officials to end the siege and lift the blockade on Gaza to allow unhindered and sustainable access to humanitarian assistance, particularly for food, clean water, sanitation, and shelter.
The charity urged the international community to take decisive action “to uphold justice and human rights, prevent further suffering, and protect the rights of Palestinians in Gaza, including those enshrined in the Geneva and Genocide Conventions.”
Ongoing Genocide
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 38,848 Palestinians have been killed, and 89,459 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.