Amman, April 28 (Petra) -- Doctors Without Borders, or Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said on Tuesday that Israeli authorities are weaponizing access to water in the Gaza Strip, characterizing the systematic deprivation of the population as part of a broader campaign of collective punishment.

In a report released today, the humanitarian organization demanded that Israeli authorities restore water supplies to meet urgent humanitarian needs. MSF also called on the international community to pressure Israel to cease obstructing aid, particularly supplies essential for the maintenance and operation of water infrastructure.

The report asserted that the deliberate withholding of water is a core component of a "repeated, systematic, and cumulative pattern" designed to create destructive and inhumane living conditions. This policy, MSF noted, operates alongside direct military action, the destruction of healthcare facilities, and the demolition of homes, which have forced the mass displacement of the population.

"Israeli authorities are fully aware that life is impossible without water, yet they have deliberately destroyed Gaza's water infrastructure and continue to block the entry of necessary supplies," said Claire San Filippo, MSF's emergency coordinator.

San Filippo warned that this deprivation, compounded by severe overcrowding and the collapse of the healthcare system, has created a fertile environment for the spread of diseases and epidemics.

MSF documented the destruction of approximately 90% of Gaza's water and sanitation infrastructure, including desalination plants, wells, and distribution networks. The organization's teams also recorded incidents where the Israeli military directly targeted water trucks bearing the MSF logo and wells serving tens of thousands of people. The report further noted casualties among civilians and humanitarian workers while they were attempting to secure or distribute water.

//Petra// AF

28/04/2026 21:18:52