NEW YORK CITY: A group of UN human rights experts on Monday accused Israeli authorities of deliberately depriving Palestinians in Gaza of access to clean drinking water. They described this alleged action as a grave violation of international law and a potential crime against humanity.
“Israel is using thirst as a weapon to kill Palestinians,” the experts said. “Cutting off water and food is a silent but lethal bomb that kills mostly children and babies.”
The independent experts, who are appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, said that water and sanitation systems in Gaza have been systematically targeted throughout the Israel’s ongoing military campaign.
Since the conflict began in October 2023, Israeli forces have destroyed or severely damaged wells, pipelines, desalination plants and sewage networks. According to the UN, nearly 90 percent of the territory’s water infrastructure is no longer functional, leaving more than 90 percent of the population without reliable access to safe water supplies.
As summer temperatures soar and hygiene conditions deteriorate rapidly, fatalities from dehydration are increasing and outbreaks of waterborne disease are spreading. Most of the 2 million residents of Gaza have been displaced, with many of them forced to drink contaminated water and live without even basic sanitation.
“This catastrophe was not only predictable, it was predicted,” the UN experts said. “The deliberate denial of water and essential supplies is part of a pattern of collective punishment and may amount to extermination under international law.”
The experts referred to an advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in July 2024, which reaffirmed Israel’s obligations as an occupying power to ensure civilians are able to access adequate supplies of food and water.
Instead, the experts noted, Israeli authorities have further reduced the already limited flow of emergency water deliveries, and continue to block essential shipments of fuel required to power desalination and sanitation systems.
The UN Relief and Works Agency, the main humanitarian agency in Gaza, has warned that it will be forced to close several of its remaining wells entirely unless immediate authorization is granted for fuel deliveries to the territory. These sources currently provide hundreds of thousands of liters of water to people each day for drinking and hygiene purposes.
“With fuel supplies nearly exhausted, humanitarian organizations are scaling back life-saving work, including the distribution of water,” the UN experts said.
Describing the situation as “barbaric,” they added that the actions of the Israeli government meet the legal definition of genocide. They cited the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court and defines genocide as “deliberate infliction of conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of a population.”
They urged the international community to act decisively, calling for the immediate deployment of naval humanitarian missions from Mediterranean ports to deliver fuel, water and aid workers to Gaza. They also called for urgent action to restore water and sanitation systems in Gaza, and an end to restrictions on humanitarian access.
“The international community must act now to end this inhumane and unlawful deprivation,” the experts said. “This is a test of global conscience — and failure is not an option.”
The statement was issued by seven of UN’s special rapporteurs and experts responsible for issues related to human rights, water and sanitation, food, health, displaced persons, and the occupied Palestinian territories. They operate independently, are not members of UN staff, work on a voluntary basis and do not speak on behalf of the organization.
