Parched and Imperiled: Gaza’s Deteriorating Water Security in the Wake of the October 2023 Aggression

The Gaza Strip faces an unprecedented water crisis exacerbated by recent and ongoing conflict and military aggression, which commenced on 7 October 2023. This small, arid region on the Mediterranean coast, already suffering from freshwater scarcity, has worsened water insecurity due to pollution, over-extraction of the aquifer, and lack of energy and electricity. The situation is further complicated by a complex interplay of meteorological, political, legal, economic, and geopolitical factors tied to Gaza’s regional context. Despite advancements in water and sanitation infrastructure made between January 2006 and October 2023, the ongoing Israeli hostility has led to the systematic targeting and destruction of these facilities. This aggression, linked to Israeli Cabinet decisions to cut water and power supplies, has precipitated a humanitarian crisis. The weaponization of water and its infrastructure has become increasingly evident in recent aggression, with extensive damage to critical infrastructure, exacerbating the already dire conditions for the population. The conflict has resulted in the forced displacement of over 1.9 million Gazans, confining them to extreme, harsh, and inhuman conditions devoid of basic infrastructure and denying their fundamental rights to access water and sanitation services.