Country: occupied Palestinian territory Source: Médecins Sans Frontières Depriving people of access to clean water and adequate sanitation has far-reaching consequences for their health, hygiene, and dignity. Leila Rafei April 28 2026, 9: 00am MSF calls on Israeli authorities to immediately restore unhindered access to water, sanitation, and hygiene for Gaza’s 2. 1 million residents. Israel’s allies, including the United States, must use their leverage to pressure Israel to do so. Deliberately denying Palestinians access to water is an integral part of Israel’s genocide. Through data and medical testimonies, the MSF report, “ Water as a Weapon: Israel’s Destruction and Deprivation of Water and Sanitation in Gaza, ” documents how the weaponization of water by Israeli authorities is not an isolated act, but part of a recurrent, systematic, and cumulative pattern. The denial of access to water is occurring alongside the direct and continued killing of civilians, the devastation of health facilities, and the flattening of homes, which has caused mass displacement. Together, these actions constitute a deliberate infliction of destructive and inhumane conditions on Palestinians in Gaza. Israeli authorities know that without water life ends, yet they have deliberately and systematically obliterated water infrastructure in Gaza — while consistently blocking water-related supplies from entering. “Israeli authorities know that without water life ends, yet they have deliberately and systematically obliterated water infrastructure in Gaza — while consistently blocking water-related supplies from entering, ” said Claire San Filippo, MSF emergency manager. “Palestinians have been injured and killed simply trying to access water. This deprivation, combined with dire living conditions, extreme overcrowding, and a collapsed health system, create a perfect storm for the spread of diseases. ” “Getting water is not supposed to be dangerous” Israel has destroyed or damaged nearly 90 percent of water and sanitation infrastructure in Gaza, including desalination plants, boreholes, pipelines, and sewage systems, according to the United Nations, the European Union, and the World Bank. MSF teams have documented Israeli military shooting at clearly identified water trucks, and destroying boreholes that were a lifeline for tens of thousands of people. Violent incidents have often occurred while water was being distributed to people, injuring Palestinians and aid workers and damaging equipment. “My grandson went to get some drinking water [in Nuseirat in July 2025], ” said Hanan, a Palestinian woman in Gaza City. “He was standing in line with other kids, and [Israeli forces] killed him. He was 10 years old. Getting water is not supposed to be dangerous. ” When we did not have enough water, drinking became the absolute priority. .. Some families would deprive themselves of food to provide water for their children. The cumulative effect of the water scarcity engineered by Israeli authorities is that it simply is not possible to provide people with sufficient water. After the local authorities, MSF is the largest producer and a main distributor of drinking water in Gaza. However, between May and November 2025, 1 in every 5 of our water distributions ran dry as our trucks were unable to carry sufficient water for all the people who needed it. Additionally, Israeli military displacement orders have locked our teams out of areas where we had previously provided water to hundreds of thousands of people. Daily challenges to accessing water in Gaza Location of water access points: Due to a limited supply of water tanks and lack of enough pipes to create distribution networks, water and sanitation actors set up distribution points in the street, often far from where displaced people live. Infrequency of water access: People rely on collecting water from trucks that pass by; missing the moment a truck passes affects what they can do, eat, or clean that day. Length of time: It takes people anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour – often around 30 minutes, and sometimes much longer — to reach a water distribution point, wait for the truck, fill their water containers, and walk back to their tent or shelter. Carrying heavy water containers: Bringing water back to one’s tent or shelter is physically taxing, particularly for people who are injured, sick, or have disabilities, and children and the elderly. Storage capacity: Since there are not enough jerrycans and water tanks, people reuse old water bottles or any container they can find. This limits the quantity they can retrieve at a time and use between moments of access. Unaffordability: For those who buy water, the cost has become unaffordable. Prices for water produced by private providers increased by 500 percent between October 2023 and January 2026. Requests for supplies are rejected or unanswered Israeli authorities have also hindered the entry of essential water and sanitation materials into Gaza. Since October 2023, electricity, fuel, and supplies like generators, replacement parts, and engine oil — all critical to power water treatment and distribution — have been cut or tightly restricted. One-third of our requests to bring in critical water and sanitation supplies have been rejected or left unanswered. These supplies include water desalination units, pumps, chlorine, and other chemicals to treat water, water tanks, and latrines. Many items that were originally approved for entry by Israeli authorities were subsequently turned away once they got to the border, oftentimes without explanation. “We need water, ” said Ali, a displaced Palestinian living in a camp in Deir al-Balah. “It does not make sense. It’s like we are asking for the world when we just need the essentials of life. ” Health consequences of lack of water and sanitation The consequences of this deprivation of access to water are far-reaching for people’s health, hygiene, and dignity, particularly for women and people with disabilities. Access to basic hygiene, including clean water, soap, diapers, and menstrual hygiene products, has become extremely difficult. People are forced to dig holes in the sand as toilets, which flood and contaminate the surroundings and groundwater with feces and could lead to outbreaks of waterborne diseases. The lack of access to water and hygiene, coupled with life in dire and undignified conditions like overcrowded tents and makeshift shelters, also leads to the spread of diseases, including respiratory infections, skin diseases, and diarrheal diseases. Skin diseases comprised nearly 18 percent of MSF’s general health care consultations in 2025, while between May and August 2025, we found that nearly 25 percent of patients had experienced gastrointestinal illness in the previous month. During the month of March, MSF distributed over 26 million gallons of water. That’s 936 miles of 20-liter jerrycans lined up — equivalent to the distance from Riyadh to Amman, or London to Rome. MSF is the largest producer of drinking water in the Gaza Strip after local authorities. In March 2026 — through gradual improvements despite the extremely restricted conditions — MSF produced or distributed over 1. 4 million gallons (5. 3 million liters) of water in Gaza each day. This helps meet the minimum needs of over 407, 000 people, or 1 in 5 people in the Strip. During the month of March, MSF distributed over 26 million gallons (100 million liters) of water. That’s 936 miles of 20-liter jerrycans lined up — equivalent to the distance from Riyadh to Amman, or London to Rome. Water as a Weapon Israel’s Destruction and Deprivation of Water and Sanitation in Gaza Read the report We speak out. Get updates.
oPt: Israel must stop using water as a weapon of collective punishment in Gaza
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