Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Israel of committing “acts of genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza by withholding adequate water supplies. The group’s report, released on Thursday, states that between October 2023 and September 2024, Israeli authorities restricted access to the minimum amount of water required for survival, leading to thousands of deaths and widespread diseases.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a person needs at least 15-20 liters of water per day for drinking and washing. However, Palestinians in Gaza struggle to access even this amount due to Israel’s obstruction of humanitarian aid, restrictions on clean water supplies, and damage to the region’s water infrastructure caused by Israeli strikes.
The report highlights that nearly 60% of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure was damaged or destroyed by hostilities, with the number rising to 84% by August. In January, the World Bank estimated that nearly 60% of the infrastructure had been damaged.
HRW says that Israel’s actions amount to a deliberate act of deprivation, citing the obstruction of water treatment and production supplies, restrictions on clean water flow through pipelines, and damage to Gaza’s water infrastructure caused by Israeli strikes.
The Biden administration has stated its disagreement with HRW’s findings but continues to press Israel on the issue. The US has emphasized the importance of ensuring access to clean water in Gaza, as recommended by the WHO.
Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the UN special rapporteur on safe drinking water and sanitation, described the crisis as a “brazen breach of international law” that puts Gazans at risk of dying from thirst and diseases related to lack of safe drinking water.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/12/19/middleeast/hrw-israel-genocide-restricting-water-intl/index.html