Oxfam: Israel uses water as a ‘weapon of war’ in Gaza

Israel is using water consumption as a weapon against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by deliberately cutting off supplies and systematically destroying water facilities, Oxfam reported on Thursday. This has reduced the amount of water available in the enclave by 94 percent.

The report entitled Water war crimesdescribes in detail how Israel obstructed aid and “used water as a weapon against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip”.

According to the findings, the amount of water currently available in Gaza is only about one-third of the recommended minimum for emergency survival, or less than one toilet flush.

The aid organization says it has witnessed a deliberate disruption of humanitarian efforts, leading to further deaths among Palestinians.

“Tragically, this is further evidence of the horrors the Israeli government is inflicting on the people of Gaza, using starvation and, as this report shows, systematic water deprivation as weapons of war,” Halima Begum, executive director of Oxfam GB, said in a statement, calling it a clear violation of international law.

“The impact on families in Gaza is unimaginable. People are forced to drink contaminated water and face rivers of sewage in the streets. These appalling conditions pose a significant risk of dehydration and create a breeding ground for the spread of disease…” she added.

Oxfam research has found that since the war began in October, Israeli military attacks have destroyed or damaged at least five key water and sanitation infrastructure facilities every three days.

Israel has also destroyed 100 percent of all sewage treatment plants and 70 percent of all sewage pumps in the Gaza Strip, as well as the water quality testing laboratories in the enclave.

Oxfam has since called on the British government to step up peace efforts and release prisoners held in Gaza.

Begum said it was time for a new British policy on Gaza, urging the government to examine the evidence from the besieged enclave and question its arms sales to Israel.

The Oxfam report comes after the Palestinian Health Ministry announced this week that cases of polio had been found in sewage samples from Gaza.

The ministry said the tests were carried out jointly with UNICEF and found that “thousands of residents are at risk of contracting poliomyelitis.” It warned of a possible “new health disaster” if immediate action is not taken.

Polio mainly affects children and can spread quickly through contact with feces or inadequate handwashing, as well as through contaminated food or water.

Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza has razed entire neighborhoods, triggered a severe humanitarian crisis and destroyed infrastructure.

Polio can cause serious long-term symptoms that affect the brain and nerves. In some cases, the disease can be life-threatening and can lead to paralysis in some sufferers.

Israel has killed at least 38,800 Palestinians in Gaza since October 7 and injured at least 89,166 others during the same period.