GAZA, (PIC)
The ongoing Israeli war of extermination on the Gaza Strip, now in its twentieth consecutive month, has affected all aspects of life in the Gaza Strip, and the battles for survival waged by Gazans are countless.
From the moment a Gazan opens his eyes in the morning under bombardment, war, and siege, until bedtime in the evening, he fights to obtain the basics of life, including food, drink, medicine, and more.
Perhaps the battle to obtain usable water, in addition to potable water, is one of the most difficult daily battles fought by people here in the Gaza Strip. Water, which is a major lifeline for human life, has become a daily torment for Palestinians in Gaza, whether they live in tents and displacement camps, or even those who live in what remains of homes and houses.
A daily battle
Abu Aziz, a man in his sixties, a resident of Rafah, displaced today with his family in a tent in the western areas of Deir al-Balah, is waging a daily battle to obtain usable water, and a fiercer battle to obtain potable water for making food.
“Fresh water trucks used to arrive at the camp almost daily on a regular basis in the previous period, especially during the lull, but after the return of the war and the intensification of the siege, we see them irregularly, which deprives us of fresh water and even that which is usable,” says Abu Aziz.
Abu Aziz confirms that water is indispensable, and life is impossible without it. He describes the lack of water and the difficulty of obtaining it as “another war” that they live daily, in addition to what they suffer from a lack of everything in life, and the continuous killing by the torrents of death that do not stop.
It is not only the displaced and those living in tents who suffer from water shortages, but even those who live in what remains of their homes, especially after the majority of municipalities in the Gaza Strip announced a reduction in the hours and days of water reaching homes due to a shortage of fuel as a result of the comprehensive closure of the crossings of the Gaza Strip since the second of March 2025.
A crisis that preceded the war
The Palestinian Water Authority, in a report published before the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, said that the water problem in the Gaza Strip is a complex and intricate problem in which political conditions and the ongoing Israeli occupation for 57 years, in addition to the Israeli siege for more than 17 years, the rapid increase in population, and limited resources all intertwine.
It indicated that all these reasons led to a sharp deterioration in the water sector and the delay in the implementation of many projects, most notably the project to establish a central seawater desalination plant in Gaza.
It stressed that Israel has controlled water resources in the Palestinian territories, especially in the Gaza Strip, since the occupation in 1967.
According to official reports published by the Water Authority, the groundwater reservoir is considered the almost sole source on which the majority of the population of the Gaza Strip depends in obtaining approximately 94% of their total water needs.
According to official reports and data that monitored the water situation before the outbreak of the war of extermination, 97% of the groundwater in the Gaza Strip is not suitable for drinking, and the Palestinians were getting 82 liters per person per day, which is less than the daily amount recommended by the World Health Organization, which should not be less than 100 liters per person.
War on water
Reports from Oxfam International showed that the per capita share of water for use and drinking has decreased sharply, by 94%. The per capita share of water before last October in the Gaza Strip was about 82 liters per person, while now it does not exceed 5 liters per person.
A UN report published in June 2024, to assess the damage to infrastructure and water, revealed that 71% of municipal saltwater desalination plants, which rely on groundwater reservoir wells, were destroyed (100% in northern Gaza, 100% in Gaza City, and 81% in Khan Yunis).
The report indicated that 69% of the total water production wells were destroyed (78% in northern Gaza, 88% in Gaza City, and 79% in Khan Yunis).
It explained that 66% of the total water tanks were destroyed (100% in northern Gaza, 89% in Gaza City, and 76% in Khan Yunis).
The report revealed that 33% of seawater desalination plants were destroyed (100% in Gaza City), as this plant is located on the coast of northern Gaza and used to produce about 10,000 cubic meters per day.
An analysis conducted by Oxfam of water production inside Gaza and fuel supplies between February 16 and May 26, 2024 (100 days) showed that as a result of the destruction and fuel shortages, water production throughout the Gaza Strip decreased by 84%.
The Palestinian Water Authority said in new data, published on Saturday (10/5/2025), that 85% of water and sanitation facilities in the enclave have been severely damaged, and water extraction quantities have decreased by 70-80%.
It indicated that the average per capita consumption of water is between 3 and 5 liters per day, which is much less than the minimum recommended by the World Health Organization in emergency situations.
It explained that the discharge of wastewater in residential areas and the filling of rainwater basins with it threatens the outbreak of diseases, given the residents’ need to use salty and undrinkable water.
It stressed that these Israeli policies constitute a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, including the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Convention on the Prevention of the Crime of Genocide, and the Rome Statute.
The Water Authority called on the international community to take immediate action to stop the Israeli aggression, lift the siege, and provide protection for technical personnel, in addition to supporting the efforts of the Palestinian government in emergency interventions and recovery plans. It also called for enabling the entry of water and sanitation supplies and provide urgent protection for workers in the water sector.
