Palestinians waiting for water in Rafah | File photo
At least 700 Palestinians, including numerous children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip while queuing to collect water, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Media Office, reports Al Jazeera.
In a statement, Gaza’s Media Office described the attacks as part of what it called a “planned thirst war”, claiming that Israeli forces have deliberately targeted vital water resources. The statement said that so far, Israeli forces have destroyed 112 fresh water filling stations and 720 wells, depriving more than 12.5 million people of access to clean water.
Reporting from Gaza, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said, “A devastating water crisis grips Gaza. Most of the limited water available is contaminated or saline. Desperate residents are risking their lives just to fetch water. Over the past few months alone, at least ten direct attacks have targeted people standing in line for water.”
In one recent incident in central Gaza, at least ten Palestinians—including six children—were killed when Israeli forces struck a water collection point.
On Saturday and Sunday alone, separate Israeli airstrikes across Gaza killed at least 202 people, local sources confirmed. In Gaza City, repeated airstrikes hit residential areas and refugee camps, killing at least 52 people in the city alone. In Nuseirat refugee camp, a strike on a water distribution centre killed ten people and injured at least sixteen more.
The Media Office said the continued siege and bombardment have also caused severe malnutrition among Gaza’s children. Since October, at least 67 children have reportedly died due to malnutrition, as aid operations face constant obstacles. “Israel is blocking life-saving aid under the guise of relief while systematically killing civilians every day,” the Media Office alleged.
Despite mounting international pressure from humanitarian organisations and human rights groups demanding safe access for aid, no durable solution has emerged yet. For more than 21 months, hundreds of thousands in Gaza have been surviving amid severe shortages of water, food, medicine, and medical supplies, with no end in sight.
