Israel depriving 600,000 people in Gaza from clean water: rights body

Israel has left around 600,000 people in Gaza without clean water after it cut off supplies on October 11, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) has said, highlighting a growing humanitarian crisis in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

“The blockade of the Gaza is putting Palestinian children and other civilians at grave risk,” HRW said on the X social media platform.

Under international human rights law, states must respect the right to water, which includes abstaining from limiting access to or destroying water services and infrastructure as a “punitive measure” during armed conflicts, it said.

HRW also warned that the lack of water, contamination of areas by sewage and presence of bodies that cannot be safely stored in morgues could trigger an infectious disease outbreak.

Israeli Energy Minister Israel Katz said on October 10 that he had instructed authorities to cut the water supply to Gaza, a narrow coastal enclave that is home to more than two million people.

The conflict in Gaza, which has been under Israeli bombardment and a blockade since October 7, began when the Palestinian group Hamas initiated Operation Al Aqsa Flood, a multi-pronged surprise attack that included a barrage of rocket launches and infiltrations into Israel by land, sea and air.

The Israeli military then launched Operation Swords of Iron against Hamas targets in Gaza.

Gaza is experiencing a dire humanitarian crisis with no electricity, while water, food, fuel and medical supplies are running out.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire to ease the “epic human suffering”.

At least 3,785 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on Gaza, while more than 1,400 Israelis have been killed in the conflict.