June 29 Water Fact
Israel’s recent bombing of the Gaza Strip damaged or destroyed 13 wells, three desalination plants, and 250,000 meters of water pipes.
A single strike to just one well near Gaza City cut off water supply to 120,000 people.
Early estimates say the damage to Gaza City alone exceeds $20 million: water and sewer networks, wells, sewage pumps, municipal facilities and vehicles, roads and sidewalks, electricity networks, and administrative buildings.
Additional damage to water infrastructure across the Gaza Strip is discovered daily. Even small movements of components in facilities that were shaken or broken by shock waves from Israel’s bombs can cause leakage.
Israel’s 14-year blockade forbids entry of 5,000 different items urgently need to repair water systems and networks. It has also blocked the entry of fuel for Gaza’s power plant, impeding the delivery of running water.
The blockade has banned more than 70% of materials necessary for water and wastewater projects, calling them “dual-use items” (considered to have military and civilian applications). "Dual-use items" include cement, wood, solar panels, construction materials, water pumps, spare parts, generators, clothing, blankets, mattresses, mobile pumps to dewater flooded areas, water-testing and disinfection material, essential electromechanical equipment, epoxy paints for insulation.
Before Israel’s recent assault on Gaza, 97% of the 2 million people in the Gaza Strip were already living without clean water for hygiene and consumption, and 98% of the water was already contaminated—both crises due to previous bombardments.
COVID-19 is spreading at an alarming rate, especially since the recent Israeli aggression, which displaced tens of thousands of people to crowded spaces. (Last month, Israel demolished Gaza’s only COVID-19 testing center.) People cannot wash their hands.
Sources: al mezan, haaretz, al-shabaka