Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of acts of genocide over water access in Gaza

Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of acts of genocide over water access in Gaza

Human Rights Watch has accused Israel of deliberately committing “acts of genocide” in Gaza by denying Palestinian civilians adequate access to water.

It says Israel’s actions include deliberately damaging water and sanitation infrastructure.

The campaign group says it has probably caused the deaths of thousands of people, which they say amounts to “committing a crime against the annihilation of humanity”.

Israel rejected HRW report As in “propaganda”.

in a post on xAn Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman said the group was “once again spreading its bloody insults… The truth is the exact opposite of HRW’s lies”.

The 179-page report states that “since October 2023, Israeli authorities have deliberately hindered Palestinians’ access to the substantial quantities of water necessary for survival in the Gaza Strip”.

It said Israel deliberately damaged infrastructure including treatment plants powering solar panels, a reservoir and a spare parts warehouse, while also blocking fuel for generators.

It said Israel also cut electricity supplies, attacked repair workers and blocked the entry of repair materials into Gaza.

“This is not just negligence,” said Tirana Hassan, HRW executive director. “This is a deliberate policy of deprivation that has led to the deaths of thousands of people from dehydration and disease, amounting to nothing less than a crime against humanity and an act of genocide.”

The report is based on interviews with dozens of Palestinians in Gaza, including water authority officials, sanitation experts and health workers, as well as satellite imagery and data from October 2023 to September 2024.

On 7 October 2023, Israel launched a major military offensive in Gaza after Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage.

At least 45,129 people have been killed in Gaza since the offensive began, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry. It does not give figures for the number of deaths due to water shortage or other such causes.

The HRW report states that to constitute the crime of genocide, proof of intent is required for the alleged actions. It said the findings, which also include statements by senior Israeli officials, “may indicate such an intention”.

But, rejecting HRW’s allegations against Israel, Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said that Israel had “facilitated the continued flow of water and humanitarian aid into Gaza despite continued attacks by the Hamas terrorist organization”.

He said water pipelines and pumping and desalination facilities remained operational, and water tankers had repeatedly delivered supplies into Gaza through Israeli crossings.

He said, “This report is full of lies that are appalling compared to HRW’s already low standards.”

The HRW report is the latest in a series of allegations by rights groups and others that Israel is committing genocide in its campaign in Gaza.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) – the top UN court – is also currently investigating a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide.

The 1948 Genocide Convention, passed in the wake of the Nazi genocide of European Jews, defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”

Israel has vehemently denied such allegations, calling them “completely baseless” and motivated by anti-Semitism. He says he has not intentionally harmed civilians in Gaza and is only fighting against Hamas.

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