MSF Report Accuses Israel of Gaza Water Restrictions

Médecins Sans Frontières released a report on Tuesday accusing Israeli authorities of systematically restricting water access in Gaza through the destruction of infrastructure and obstructions to aid, conditions the group said have fueled a public health crisis amid ongoing hostilities.

The report, titled "Water as a Weapon," details how Gaza's desalination plants, boreholes, pipelines, and sewage networks have been rendered inoperable or inaccessible since Israel's military campaign began in October 2023 following a Hamas attack. Citing data from the United Nations, European Union, and World Bank, MSF stated that nearly 90 percent of water and sanitation infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed. Gaza lacks natural surface water and relies on groundwater and desalinated seawater, leaving residents vulnerable. MSF, now the largest nongovernmental producer of drinking water in the enclave, distributed more than 5.3 million liters daily last month, meeting minimum needs for over 407,000 people, or about a fifth of Gaza's population, using mobile units and trucks.

Health officials and aid workers report a surge in water-related diseases, including diarrhea, skin infections, lice...