Israel Accused of Over 250 Attacks on Palestinian Water Sources — Report

Israel Accused of Over 250 Attacks on Palestinian Water Sources — Report
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Israeli forces and settlers have carried out more than 250 attacks on Palestinian water infrastructure over the past five years, marking one of the most persistent assaults on civilian water systems in recent times, The Guardian reported. According to new research by the California-based Pacific Institute, at least 90 incidents since January 2024 targeted drinking water, irrigation, and sanitation sites in Gaza and the occupied West Bank using bombs, heavy machinery, poison, and even dogs.

The study said 90% of Gaza’s water and sanitation facilities have been destroyed, damaged, or made inaccessible due to Israeli military actions, worsening an already dire public health crisis. UN Special Rapporteur Pedro Arrojo-Agudo described such acts as violations of international law that may amount to war crimes and, in Gaza’s case, form part of a “genocidal strategy.”

Incidents include Israeli airstrikes that killed civilians at water distribution points and the destruction of EU-funded desalination and sanitation projects. In the West Bank, settlers reportedly sabotaged irrigation systems and pipelines on Palestinian-owned land. Globally, the Pacific Institute recorded a record 420 water-related conflicts in 2024, a 20% rise from the previous year.

Conflicts over water have surged in countries including Madagascar, Pakistan, and South Africa amid worsening shortages, climate pressures, and political instability. Experts warn that attacks on freshwater resources are increasingly being used as weapons of war, underscoring the urgent need to protect civilian access to safe and affordable water under international law.