Al Mayadeen English

  • Ar
  • Es
  • x
Al Mayadeen English

Slogan

  • News
    • Politics
    • Economy
    • Sports
    • Arts&Culture
    • Health
    • Miscellaneous
    • Technology
    • Environment
  • Articles
    • Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Blog
    • Features
  • Videos
    • NewsFeed
    • Video Features
    • Explainers
    • TV
    • Digital Series
  • Infographs
  • In Pictures
  • • LIVE
News
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Sports
  • Arts&Culture
  • Health
  • Miscellaneous
  • Technology
  • Environment
Articles
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Blog
  • Features
Videos
  • NewsFeed
  • Video Features
  • Explainers
  • TV
  • Digital Series
Infographs
In Pictures
  • Africa
  • Asia
  • Asia-Pacific
  • Europe
  • Latin America
  • MENA
  • Palestine
  • US & Canada
BREAKING
China: The Chinese government announces 5.3% GDP growth in the first half of 2025.
Brazilian government: We condemn the Israeli military operations in Gaza and the killing of children, and we call for "Israel" to be held accountable for its actions.
Israeli media platform: The Degel HaTorah party, which has four members in the Knesset, announces its withdrawal from Netanyahu's cabinet.
Local Syrian sources: The raids targeted the road between the village of Al-Mazra'a and the city of Sweida, where forces and factions affiliated with the Syrian Ministry of Defense are advancing.
Local Syrian sources: New raids carried out by Israeli warplanes targeted vehicles and gatherings of military factions affiliated with the new Syrian Ministry of Defense.
Local Syrian sources: Israeli raids target, for the third time, gatherings of Syrian Defense Forces military factions in the southern countryside of Sweida.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza: Gaza Strip hospitals received 120 martyrs and 557 wounded in the past 24 hours.
The Israeli Walla! website: We are running out of stockpiles, our forces are exhausted, and the lives of the captives are in danger. It is time for a ceasefire deal in Gaza.
Several wounded in an Israeli bombardment of a tent in al-Mawasi, south of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli media: Three wounded, three killed in an ongoing operation in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli aggression, siege puts Gaza at risk of a water crisis: WSJ

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: The Wall Street Journal
  • 8 Nov 2023 03:23
4 Min Read

In light of water scarcity, many Gazans resort to consuming water contaminated by saltwater, chemicals, or sewage.

  • x
  • Palestinians resort to the sea water to bathe and clean their tools and clothes due the continuing water shortage in the Gaza Strip, on the beach of Deir al-Balah, Central Gaza Strip, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 (AP)
    Palestinians resort to the seawater to bathe and clean their tools and clothes due to the continuing water shortage in the Gaza Strip, on the beach of Deir al-Balah, Central Gaza Strip, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023 (AP)

A recent report published by The Wall Street Journal shows that the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza has brought the Strip to the brink of a devastating water crisis.

Clean water has become a critically scarce resource, severely affecting the lives of the locals.

According to the United Nations, water production (through desalination) in Gaza has plummeted to just 5% of pre-aggression levels, a shocking statistic that paints a grim picture of the Strip's current state.

The limited water that remains in Gaza is causing severe health issues among its residents, with both the United Nations and healthcare workers sounding the alarm.

The crisis is particularly dire in northern Gaza, which has been the primary focus of the Israeli aggression, The Wall Street Journal highlighted. Safe drinking water is no longer available in this area, as it is encircled by Israeli occupation troops, effectively cutting off the supply.

Desperate for water, many residents are left with no choice but to drink from whatever sources they can find, often turning to wells contaminated by saltwater, chemicals, and various other pollutants. These survival measures, driven by necessity, come with life-threatening consequences, particularly for the vulnerable, such as children. Gaza's healthcare system, already teetering on the edge of collapse, is ill-equipped to deal with the repercussions of this water crisis.

Before the start of the Israeli aggression, Gaza relied on three primary sources of water: desalination plants (which offered 7% of Gaza's water needs), pipelines from "Israel" (which offered 13% of Gaza's water needs), and numerous wells (which offered 80% of Gaza's water needs).

Read more: Israeli aggression killed 13,500, including 4,200 children

As part of its genocidal war on Gaza, "Israel" has disrupted all three of these sources. effectively cutting off water from the people of Gaza. 

The limited humanitarian aid that does enter Gaza from the south, including bottled water, fails to reach the northern part of the Strip due to the siege struck against it by the Israeli occupation.

Related News

Three members of IOF killed in Jabalia

36 martyred in continued Israeli airstrikes across Gaza Strip

A small amount of drinking water, along with essential chlorine tablets for water purification, has made its way into Gaza through the Egyptian border delivered by trucks carrying humanitarian aid.

Additionally, Gaza's three desalination plants have sharply deteriorated in output due to the lack of fuel (the desalination water production is energy-intensive).

The dire situation has led to a shocking disparity in water availability. Residents of Gaza now have access to a mere three liters of water per person per day for all their daily needs, including drinking, cleaning, and other purposes.

In normal circumstances, daily personal water usage averages around 100 liters. Even in emergencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a minimum of 15 liters per day, underlining the extent of the crisis.

In addition to the shortage of water, the quality of the available water is also a concern. Groundwater extracted from wells is a mixture of freshwater and saltwater and often contains residual chemicals used in agriculture. With most wastewater treatment plants in Gaza no longer functional due to the aggression, sewage has become another potential source of contamination.

The Israeli aggression on Gaza has damaged at least seven water facilities across the Strip, including two large water reservoirs, according to the United Nations. Local authorities have issued warnings of an imminent risk of sewage overflow from non-operational treatment plants.

The consequences of this water crisis are already becoming evident, with people falling ill due to the cramped living conditions in homes, shelters, and hospitals, which facilitate the spread of diseases.

Read more: All bakeries in northern Gaza out of service as threat of famine looms

Yesterday, Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that there will be no ceasefire, entry of workers from the Gaza Strip, or the passage of fuel into the area unless captives are released.

"I underscore that there will be no import of fuel, there will be no permission for workers to enter [from the Gaza Strip] and there will be no ceasefire without the release of hostages," Netanyahu said in a televised address.

Currently, in Gaza, electricity, clean water, and fuel have all run out, and there are no medical supplies or lifesaving treatments.

Read more: Israeli genocide continues in Gaza: 5 massacres in one day

  • Gaza Strip
  • Palestine
  • Israeli aggression
  • Israel
  • Israeli occupation
  • Gaza
War on Gaza

War on Gaza

Most Read

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

Hezbollah SG reveals war details on Al Mayadeen for the first time

  • Politics
  • 8 Jul 2025
Israeli soldiers are seen in Beit Hanoun ahead of an operation by the al-Qassam Brigades, undated (Al-Qassam Brigades Military Media)

'Israel' on blast as media exposes report discrepancies in Gaza ambush

  • Palestine
  • 8 Jul 2025
Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

Yemen Navy sinks ETERNITY C ship, shares footage of operation

  • Politics
  • 9 Jul 2025
This satellite image from Planet Labs PBC shows damage after an Iranian attack at the al Udeid Airbase outside of Doha, Qatar, June 25, 2025 (Planet Labs PBC via AP)

Satellite images show Iran attack damaged US comms dome in Qatari base

  • Politics
  • 11 Jul 2025

Coverage

All
The Ummah's Martyrs

Read Next

All
Al Mayadeen: UN Palestine Inquiry members reportedly resigned
Politics

Al Mayadeen: UN Palestine Inquiry members reportedly resigned

Rutte, Trump
US & Canada

Trump threatens 100% secondary tariffs on Russia, sets deadline

Syrian government soldiers on a motorcycle pass by a burning tank on the outskirts of Sweida city, where clashes erupted between the Druze community and Bedouine clans, in southern Syria, Monday, July 14, 2025 (AP)
Politics

Israeli airstrikes target Syrian military factions near Sweida

Lebanon, US, disarmament
MENA

US pressure on Lebanon grows over Resistance disarmament plan

Al Mayadeen English

Al Mayadeen is an Arab Independent Media Satellite Channel.

All Rights Reserved

  • x
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
Android
iOS