In a new report, which focused specifically on water, the New York-based rights group detailed what it said were deliberate efforts by Israeli authorities “of a systematic nature” to deprive Gazans of water, which had “likely caused thousands of deaths… and will likely continue to cause deaths”. “Since October 2023, Israeli authorities have deliberately obstructed Palestinians’ access to the adequate amount of water required for survival in the Gaza Strip,” the report said.
Human Rights Watch (HRW)
Israel has steadfastly rejected previous similar accusations from rights groups, saying its actions in Gaza are legitimate military operations.
The HRW report detailed what the group said was the intentional damaging of water and sanitation infrastructure, including solar panels powering treatment plants, a reservoir and a spare parts warehouse, as well as the blocking of fuel for generators. Israel also cut electricity supplies, attacked repair workers and blocked the importation of repair materials, it said.
The report concluded that in doing so, “Israeli authorities intentionally inflicted on the Palestinian population in Gaza 'conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.'” This, it said, amounted to the war crime of “extermination” and to “acts of genocide”. However, HRW stopped short of saying Israel was committing outright “genocide”.
Under international law, proving genocide requires evidence of specific intent, which experts say is very difficult.
HRW said only that: “The pattern of conduct set out in this report together with statements suggesting some Israeli officials wished to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza may indicate such intent.”
The HRW report, drawn up over nearly a year, is based on interviews with dozens of Gazans, staff at water and sanitation facilities, medics and aid workers, as well as satellite imagery, photographs, videos and data analysis. It said Israeli authorities did not reply to requests for information.
The lack of water left Gazans vulnerable to water-borne diseases and complications, such as infected wounds and the inability to heal due to dehydration, HRW said. Medical facilities were also struggling to maintain basic hygiene practices. Deaths from such cases “are likely vastly underreported”, the report said.
Doctors and nurses told HRW “that many of their patients have died from preventable diseases and infections, and healable wounds, due to dehydration and the unavailability of water”. One emergency room nurse cited in the report said they were forced to decide “not to resuscitate children who were severely malnourished and dehydrated”.
The rights group called on Israel to take numerous actions, including to “immediately ensure” sufficient water, fuel and electricity in Gaza. It also said the international community must “take all measures within their power to prevent genocide by Israeli authorities in Gaza”. That included “discontinuing any military assistance and arms sales or transfers, imposing targeted sanctions, and reviewing bilateral deals and diplomatic relations”.
Update 20241219
COGAT, the Israeli defence ministry body responsible for civil affairs in the Palestinian territories, denied using water as a “weapon”. It said three water lines from Israel "are active, supplying an average of 107 litres per person in northern Gaza, 34 litres per person in central Gaza, and 20 litres per person in southern Gaza. “According to international standards, conflict zones require 15 litres of water per person daily,” COGAT said.
In a separate report released on Thursday, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) accused Israel of causing widespread devastation in Gaza and noted “signs of ethnic cleansing” in the north of the Palestinian territory.
In a statement, MSF Secretary General Christopher Lockyear said what his medical teams have seen in Gaza “is consistent with the descriptions provided by an increasing number of legal experts and organisations concluding that genocide is taking place”. Lockyear said “signs of ethnic cleansing and the ongoing devastation -— including mass killings, severe physical and mental health injuries, forced displacement, and impossible conditions of life for Palestinians under siege and bombardment – are undeniable.”
Israel’s foreign ministry said that, in addition to water pipelines, it has also ensured that “water pumping and desalination facilities… remain operational”.
The Israeli government doesn’t care. They’ve been on a genocide bender, and the worst they’ve gotten is a strongly worded letter. They know that Trump will let them get away with even more than Biden has, so expect four more years of impotent outrage from human rights groups.