"Israel" must allow clean water and fuel into Gaza to activate the water supply network and prevent a humanitarian crisis, according to a UN expert.
The UN special rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, emphasized that preventing supplies needed for safe water violates international humanitarian and human rights law.
"Every hour that passes with Israel preventing the provision of safe drinking water in the Gaza strip, in brazen breach of international law, puts Gazans at risk of dying of thirst and diseases related to the lack of safe drinking water," Pedro Arrojo-Agudo said.
He warned that the impact on public health and hygiene in Gaza would be "unimaginable" and could result in more civilian deaths than the already significant toll from the bombardment. Arrojo-Agudo stressed the need for urgent action to prevent a crisis, particularly affecting children, especially those under five years old – and women.
"These frequently invisible casualties of war are preventable, and Israel must prevent them," he said.
In the same context, Human Rights Watch said Thursday that the absence of clean water access in Gaza poses a risk of waterborne infectious diseases such as cholera and typhoid spreading soon, as people face difficulties obtaining safe drinking water due to the total Israeli blockade on the strip.
In 2010, the UN officially recognized the human right to water, and international humanitarian law requires the safeguarding of civilian water infrastructure during wars, prohibiting the use of water as a weapon of war. Despite these principles, "Israel" is currently using water as a weapon of war.
"Israel" has methodically dismantled Palestinian water wells, storage tanks, and irrigation systems in the occupied West Bank. Moreover, it is currently impeding water supplies in Gaza, compelling hospitals, refugee camps, and a large number of residents to depend on severely contaminated or saline groundwater. This situation heightens the risk of water-related diseases.
It is worth noting that the total Israeli siege on Gaza has led to restricted access to water, power, and fuel in the densely populated area. Although a limited amount of water is allowed in, the majority of the population relies on the local water supply, of which 96% is deemed "unfit for human consumption" by the United Nations.
“The lack of clean water is resulting in ‘grave concerns’ by public health experts of an imminent infectious disease outbreak in Gaza,” Human Rights Watch warned in a statement.
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