Israel faces genocide charges over Gaza water access
- 19 December, 13:28
Human Rights Watch, HRW, said on Thursday that Israel has committed an act of genocide in Gaza by restricting access to water for the region’s residents.
"Since October 2023, Israeli authorities have deliberately obstructed Palestinians' access to the adequate amount of water required for survival in the Gaza Strip," the HRW said in its latest report, which was drawn over the course of nearly a year.
The organization accused Israel of committing deliberate actions that cut clean water to Gaza residents drastically, forcing them to use contaminated water during nearly 14-month war in the region. The limitation of water access has led to the outbreak of lethal diseases, especially among children, the 184-page reported argued.
The organization claimed that Israel’s actions has killed thousands of Palestinians and constitute an act of genocide. The report concluded by stating that "Israeli authorities intentionally inflicted on the Palestinian population in Gaza 'conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part.”
It should be noted that earlier this year, the international Court of Justice warned Israel to halt its offensive in Gaza strip and taken relevant measures to prevent the genocide being committed. Israel has rejected accusations that it committed genocide in Gaza, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling these charges “outrageous and false”.
Israel launched operation in Gaza following Hamas-led attack on its territory on October 7, 2023.
