Palestinians in Gaza City face unprecedented water crisis, authorities warn

Gaza City is facing an unprecedented water crisis as supplies fell below 25% of the minimum requirement, local authorities warned on Sunday, Anadolu reports.

In a statement, Gaza Municipality said that 75% of the city’s water wells have been destroyed by the Israeli army since October 2023.

The remaining water wells operate for a few hours daily with a limited amount of fuel due to the Israeli blockade and closure of the territory’s border crossings, it added.

“As temperatures rise and the demand for water increases among both residents and displaced persons, Gaza City is experiencing catastrophic conditions,” it said.

The daily water supply does not rise above 35,000 cubic meters, down from 120,000 cubic meters per day before the Israeli onslaught, according to data released by the municipality.

“The daily per capita water share has fallen to between 3 and 12 liters during the war, far below the internationally recommended minimum of 100 liters per day.”

OPINION: How global fatwas on Gaza challenge national religious authority

The municipality said that the ongoing Israeli military operations also prevent the distribution of water across the city, in addition to the destruction of infrastructure and the water networks.

The full shutdown of the northern Gaza desalination plant deprived many Palestinians in Gaza City of desalinated and healthy water, it said.

Mass displacement of thousands by the Israeli army from northern and eastern Gaza City to the southern and western parts significantly increased the water demand, the municipality said.

It called on the international community and humanitarian organizations to take immediate action to “help mitigate the scale of the ongoing humanitarian disaster and assist the municipality in securing the minimum required water supply for the population.”

Israel has kept all border crossings shut since March 2, cutting off the entry of food, medicine, fuel, and other essential supplies for Gaza’s 2.4 million residents.

Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, Israel has pursued a devastating offensive in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, killing over 54,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children. Aid agencies have warned about the risk of famine among the enclave’s more than 2 million population.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war crimes against civilians in the enclave.

READ: Hamas calls for UN investigation into Israel’s killing of aid seekers in Gaza