Oxfam reveals the scale of Israel’s weaponisation of water in Palestine

In a new report entitled ‘Water War Crimes’, Oxfam has detailed the extent of what it summarises as Israel’s “systematic destruction and obstruction of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure”, leading to “severe water shortages” and “health crises”.

Oxfam: 94% less water in Gaza

Oxfam analysis found that the Israel has reduced the water available to Gazan civilians by 94% since 7 October. That means each Gazan person has only had 4.74 litres of water per day for drinking, cooking and washing, which is less than a single toilet flush. The World Health Organisation has said 15 litres per day is the minimum necessary per person in an emergency. And between 50-100 litres per day is the general standard.

The Oxfam report showed Israel is weaponising water against civilians by three means.

First, it’s restricting external supply from Israel. At the same time, the state’s military has mostly destroyed Gaza’s internal water production. And thirdly, Israel is obstructing water aid and spare parts from entering.

Through the three pipelines into Gaza from Israel’s national water company Mekorot, Israel has only been providing 22% supply capacity. In some cities it’s even worse. Take Gaza City where Israel completely cut off the Mekorot supply for 95% of the time from October 2023 to May 2024.

The Israeli military’s bombardment of water infrastructure within Gaza, meanwhile, has reduced internal supply by 84% as of 26 May. This is also because of Israeli restrictions on repair parts entering Gaza.

Israel’s airstrikes on civilian infrastructure are intense. Oxfam found the state took out five water and sanitation services every three days by 3 June.

The Israeli military has also destroyed the two principle water quality testing laboratories in Gaza. At the same time, it has restricted Oxfam providing its own water testing service.

Destroying Gaza’s sewage system

Israel’s bombardment has further largely taken out Gaza’s sewage system. By 3 June, Israel had obliterated 70% of total Gazan sewage pumps and by 26 June, 100% of the waste water treatment plants.

Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from inside Gaza, said Israel’s bombardment of water and sanitation systems had created a “suitable environment for the spread of different diseases”. The Gaza Health Ministry said it had detected samples of Poliovirus in Gazan sewage water.

Oxfam also pointed out that Israel’s military offensive on Gaza did not begin in October 2023. It states:

For the past 17 years, Israel has imposed a crippling land, sea, and air blockade on Gaza, impacting every aspect of daily life, depriving 2.3 million people of fundamental rights.

The charity noted that Israeli restrictions and control over water supplies in Gaza and the West Bank also long precede October, dating back to 1967. As of March 2023, “Palestinians still lacked sufficient and safe water quantities”, Oxfam reported.

But, as Oxfam analysis demonstrates, this has gotten infinitely worse as a facet of Israel’s ongoing genocide.

Featured image via OxfamCanada – YouTube and Al Jazeera English – YouTube