"Water is another problem the wall has worsened. “The wall, extending above and below the surface of the ground, will prevent the flow of water toward the enclave, depriving it of an important source of water estimated at millions of cubic meters,” said Mazen al-Banna, the director general of the Water Resources Unit at the Water and Environment Quality Authority in Gaza. 'The wall will prevent us from benefiting from any rainfall outside the borders of the Gaza Strip, thus lowering the groundwater level.'
The wall is also polluting the existing groundwater, Banna said, because 'the machines used to build it disturbed the soil and its cohesion, which allows pollutants on the surface to penetrate the groundwater. This act by Israel is contrary to international law that sets standards for managing transboundary shared water resources.' ”
Israeli wall harms wildlife in Gaza
A Palestinian man sits inside his car at a petrol station next to the Israeli wall on May 17, 2021 in Bethlehem, West Bank. - Samar Hazboun/Getty Images