By denying Palestinians safe water, Israel has created an unparalleled health crisis and risks causing irreversible ecological damage.

Denying water to Gaza has been a key tactic of the war from the very beginning, with Israel shutting off the pipes supplying the enclave on October 7. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant announced that Israel was “imposing a complete siege on Gaza. No electricity, no food, no water, no fuel. Everything is closed. We are fighting human animals, and we are acting accordingly.”

At the end of October, an internal U.S. State Department report expressed concern that 52,000 pregnant women and over 30,000 babies under the age of six months were being forced to drink a potentially lethal mix of water polluted with sewage and salt from the sea. Since then, Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been severely weakened by rampant hunger and disease, as well as the physical wounds inflicted on nearly 60,000 people and the mental stress of ceaseless bombardment that has taken more than 23,500 lives. All of this renders Palestinians in Gaza even more vulnerable to water-borne illnesses.

By the end of December, as WHO reported, the more than 1 million displaced Palestinians sheltering in the southern city of Rafah had access to, on average, one toilet for every 486 people, while across Gaza one shower served an average of 4,500 people. Sewage flows through the streets and contaminates the hastily erected tents in which hundreds of thousands of people now live throughout southern and central Gaza. Those who are menstruating face intense hardship, with menstrual products, toilets, and water all in direly short supply. 

  • Tedesche@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1046·
    11 months ago

    Christ, these headlines. What Israel is doing is abominable, but it’s nothing new. These are siege tactics and they’re practically as old as war itself.

    • Keeponstalin@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      424·
      11 months ago

      The coveting of water of the occupied territories is nothing new, true. But unlike most sieges, this is done by an occupying power that has had total control over the food, water, electricity, borders, movement, aid, imports, and exports of the occupied territories for decades.

      • Tedesche@lemmy.worldEnglish
        627·
        11 months ago

        I agree the context makes the entire existence of a siege unusual here, I’m just pointing out that water and food deprivation have been used as tools of war for forever. The language used in the article—the “weaponization of water”—is meant to put a shiny new coat of paint on something ancient and make people think this is some new diabolical tactic Israel has invented on its own and that no one prior to them was barbaric enough to think of it. That’s what’s garbage journalism here.

        Again, not defending Israel, just trying to point out sensationalist manipulative tactics on the part of this media outlet.

        • Doorbook@lemmy.worldEnglish
          52·
          11 months ago

          Maybe, just maybe, the international community have agreed on not following ancient tactics in war anymore since they are, Ancient?

          • Linkerbaan@lemmy.worldEnglish
            24·
            11 months ago

            Are you suggesting genocide is not a legitimate method of warfare? I hear Hitler did it before so it should be fine right?

    • Deebster@fedia.io
      181·
      11 months ago

      International humanitarian law protects water as an indispensable resource for civilians during armed conflicts. Israel ratified the Geneva Conventions in 1951.

      Rape, slavery and plundering are also as old as war itself, but we don’t accept those either.

    • NoneOfUrBusiness@kbin.social
      164·
      11 months ago

      It’s different because Gaza isn’t an independent state; it’s an occupied territory. They can’t get water on their own.