GAZA CITY, Palestine

Palestinians are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan with hopes of water coming to refugee camps in western Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.

The already scarce water supply has worsened due to the Israeli destruction and blockade during the genocidal war in Gaza.

The crisis is particularly severe in the Baten al-Sameen area of Khan Younis, where thousands of displaced Palestinians live in tents under harsh weather conditions.

Daily struggle for water

Palestinians must walk for miles every day to access water, which often lasts just one day.

The water supply reaches the area every three to four days through a local pipeline, forcing residents to hike tens of kilometers to get water on a daily basis.

On Wednesday, the Union of Gaza Strip Municipalities warned of a severe health and environmental crisis in the enclave, citing Israel’s continued denial of electricity and water supplies. It urged the international community to immediately intervene.

“Under the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip as a result of 16 months of Israeli aggression, we stress the urgent need for a permanent water and electricity supply, especially after the disruption of the central desalination plant due to a power cut by the (Israeli) occupation.” It said in a statement.

The union warned that the cutting off of electricity at the desalination plant has disrupted essential services, putting public health at risk by threatening the spread of contagious diseases.

Mohammad Thabet, a spokesman for the Gaza Electricity Distribution Company, said Tuesday that Israel provided the enclave with only 5 megawatts of electricity since November before it cut off power entirely.

He said the enclave’s actual needs for electricity are estimated at around 500 megawatts per hour.

Israel’s Minister of Energy and Infrastructure, Eli Cohen, ordered the Israel Electric Corporation to stop transmitting electricity to Gaza “immediately,” Israeli public broadcaster KAN said Sunday.

Palestinian Khitai Abu Aiyyah, 51, mother of five, told Anadolu that the water does not reach them regularly, and she relies on a small line to meet her family’s needs for water daily.

Although she is obliged to walk long distances during the fasting month of Ramadan and to carry buckets back to fulfill her daily needs, her family is still suffering from a lack of drinking water.

Health crisis

The lack of clean water is also taking a toll on the health of patients. Samar Zourob, a 45-year-old Palestinian woman suffering from cancer, struggles with the water shortage, which complicates her treatment.

Zoruob said there is not enough regular water for cleaning and drinking, which are essential for her health and treatment.

In addition to the shortage, displaced families in refugee camps are also facing shortages of food, medicine and health care while living in tents that offer little protection from severe weather conditions.

Crisis exacerbated by war, blockade

Israel has destroyed Gaza’s infrastructure during its 16-month onslaught, turning access to clean water into a distant dream for Palestinians.

As Israel continues a blockade of the enclave and prevents the supply of electricity and water, Palestinians face a human tragedy of thirst, hunger and poverty.
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Israel stopped humanitarian aid from entering Gaza last week, prompting warnings from local and human rights groups of a return to widespread hunger for the population.

The first phase of a three-phase ceasefire deal, which lasted 42 days, ended in early March without Israel agreeing to move to the second phase or halt the war.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeks to extend the first phase of the prisoner exchange to secure the release of more Israeli captives without fulfilling military or humanitarian obligations outlined in the agreement, appeasing hardliners in his government.

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas, however, rejects that approach and insists that Israel abide by the ceasefire terms, urging mediators to push for immediate negotiations on the second phase, which includes a full Israeli withdrawal and an end to the war.

The ceasefire has been in place since January, pausing Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed more than 48,450 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.