Rights group accuses Israel of ‘acts of genocide’ in Gaza over water scarcity

Illustrative: Palestinians collect water from a UNICEF tanker in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on July 9, 2024. (Eyad Baba/AFP)
Illustrative: Palestinians collect water from a UNICEF tanker in Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip on July 9, 2024. (Eyad Baba/AFP)

Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of committing “acts of genocide” in the Gaza Strip by damaging water infrastructure and cutting off supplies to civilians, calling on the international community to impose targeted sanctions.

In a new report, which focused specifically on water, the New York-based rights group details what it said were deliberate efforts by Israeli authorities “of a systematic nature” to deprive Gazans of water.

Israel has steadfastly rejected previous similar accusations from rights groups, saying its actions in Gaza are legitimate military operations.

Israel has also taken steps to increase the water supply in Gaza, including providing power for a major desalination plant in Khan Younis.

While HRW said Israeli action amounted to the war crime of “extermination” and  “acts of genocide,” it stopped short of saying Israel was committing outright “genocide.”

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