Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel of Genocide in Gaza Over Water Deprivation
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Israel of committing acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, alleging a deliberate deprivation of adequate water supplies that has resulted in thousands of deaths and widespread disease, CNN reports.
In a scathing report released Thursday, HRW details how, between October 2023 and September 2024, Israeli authorities restricted water access below the World Health Organization (WHO) minimum required for survival during prolonged emergencies.
The report cites the obstruction of humanitarian aid, including water treatment supplies, restrictions on water flow from Israel into Gaza, and the extensive damage to Gaza’s water infrastructure caused by Israeli airstrikes. The organization claims these actions constitute genocide under the Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
According to the WHO, individuals need 50-100 liters of water daily to meet basic needs, dropping to 15-20 liters in emergencies. HRW found that even this minimum is unattainable for Gaza’s over 2 million residents, with most available water unsafe to drink. The report highlights the devastating consequences, including the deaths of infants whose mothers are malnourished and dehydrated, forced to use contaminated water to mix formula.
Israel vehemently denies HRW’s accusations. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein, in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), called the report “full of lies” and insisted Israel has facilitated the continuous flow of water and humanitarian aid, maintaining the operation of key water infrastructure. This statement contradicts evidence presented by HRW, including a reported incident where Israeli soldiers destroyed a crucial water reservoir in Rafah, an event allegedly captured on video before being deleted.
The crisis has exacerbated existing health challenges. The report links the water shortage to the resurgence of polio in Gaza – the first case in 25 years – after the virus was detected in sewage samples from displacement camps. HRW warns that the true scale of the devastation may never be fully understood due to the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system, impacting disease tracking capabilities.
The Israeli war in Gaza, which began after a Hamas attack in October 2023, has already claimed nearly 45,000 Palestinian lives and injured over 106,000, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. The water crisis adds another layer of suffering to the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.
While indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a ceasefire continue in Qatar, with recent reports suggesting a potential breakthrough, the HRW report underscores the severe challenges facing the Palestinian population in Gaza, even amidst hopeful signs of a potential peace agreement. The World Bank and Ipsos previously estimated that 60% of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure was damaged or destroyed by hostilities, a figure that climbed to 84% by August.
