Israel Accused of Weaponizing Water in Gaza Amid Humanitarian Collapse
Rights groups warn of a systematic plan to make Gaza uninhabitable by destroying water infrastructure and blocking access to clean water.
Watan-In a scene that crosses all red lines, Israel continues to use “water as a weapon” to strangle the Palestinian population in Gaza—part of what human rights organizations have described as a “systematic plan to eliminate civilian life.” Gaza’s Government Media Office confirmed that the occupation has turned water into a “slow-killing weapon,” no less dangerous than airstrikes and shelling.
These warnings come amid a severe humanitarian collapse in the Strip, with water almost entirely cut off from most areas. Israel has destroyed wells and desalination plants, and has severed electricity and fuel supplies essential for operating water and sanitation facilities. This systematic destruction led to the shutdown of the Deir al-Balah desalination plant, depriving more than 800,000 people of clean water.
Israel also disabled two main water lines operated by the Israeli company “Mekorot,” which previously supplied 35,000 cubic meters of water daily to over 700,000 Palestinians—especially in the central and eastern parts of Gaza. With the blockade ongoing and maintenance teams barred from entering, Gaza’s residents face an unprecedented crisis that threatens a looming health and environmental catastrophe.
Water as a Weapon: Gaza Faces Engineered Thirst
Reports indicate that over 90% of Gaza’s water infrastructure has been completely destroyed, while additional findings reveal that Israel deliberately prevents repairs and resupply—suggesting a policy resembling undeclared forced displacement.
In the absence of a decisive international response, fears are mounting that the “water crisis” is being weaponized as a strategic pressure tool to force Palestinians into displacement—part of a larger plan to render Gaza uninhabitable and clear it of its indigenous population.
