GMO accuses Israeli occupation army of using water as weapon of war

GAZA, July 14 (YPA) – Gaza’s Government Media Office (GMO), accused the Israeli occupation army of committing “one of the most heinous crimes against humanity” by waging “deliberate and systematic war of thirst” against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement on Monday, GMO said the occupation army had committed dozens of massacres against civilians fetching water, killing over 700 people, most of them children.

“Water is being used as a weapon of war to collectively punish the population and strip them of their most basic human rights,” the statement read.

The occupation army has targeted 112 freshwater filling points and destroyed 720 water wells, putting them out of service. This has deprived more than 1.25 million people of access to clean water, GMO said.

According to the statement, the Israeli army has obstructed the entry of 12 million liters of fuel monthly, the necessary amount to operate the minimum number of water wells, sewage stations, waste collection mechanisms, and other vital sectors in Gaza.

“This has caused a complete paralysis in water and sewage networks and the spread of epidemics, mainly among the children,” it added.

On March 9, “Israel” cut off the last power line feeding the last water desalination plant in central Gaza’s Deir el-Balah, halting the production of large quantities of drinking water and further deepening the enclave’s water crisis, GMO said.

GMO called for urgent international action to immediately end the Zionist entity’s war of thirst in Gaza, ensure unhindered access to water for civilians, and pressure the Israeli government to allow the entry of fuel and essential equipment to operate water wells and sewage systems.

@E.Y.M