Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of “acts of genocide” for restricting access to water for Palestinians in Gaza
In a report published Thursday, the international organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) accuses Israel of committing “acts of genocide” by restricting access to water for Palestinians in Gaza since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas more than a year ago. “Israeli authorities deliberately created living conditions aimed at causing the destruction of part of the population of Gaza, by intentionally depriving Palestinian civilians in the enclave of adequate access to water, which likely resulted in caused thousands of deaths »writes HRW in a press release accompanying its investigation. “In doing so, the Israeli authorities are responsible for the crime against humanity of extermination and acts of genocide”adds the NGO.
In its report, HRW judges that Israel intentionally limited Gaza residents’ access to water, and asserts that this indicates a desire to« extermination ». The NGO accuses Israel “acts of genocide” and not genocide, an accusation which would require proof of genocidal intent. “The course of action presented in this report, as well as statements suggesting that some Israeli officials aimed to annihilate Palestinians in Gaza, may signal such a desire”however, advances the report.
During its nearly year-long investigation, HRW said it asked the Israeli military about the facts detailed in the report but did not receive a response. To explain how water ran out in the Gaza Strip, HRW recalls that Yoav Gallant, then Israel’s defense minister, ordered a “full seat” of the Palestinian territory from October 9, 2023. “There will be no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel”he declared two days after the Hamas attack. HRW details how the water supply has dwindled due to the lack of electricity, essential to operating the pumps of the many wells in the local water supply network.
Its nearly 200-page report cites several health professionals active in the Gaza Strip saying that the lack of water has led to deaths, causing or promoting illness, particularly among infants. The NGO also uses satellite images to show that at least one water tank and other infrastructure related to water distribution have been destroyed or heavily damaged, and accuses Israel of restricting the entry of necessary equipment repairs to this infrastructure.
