HRW alleges that Gazans have been denied the minimum 15 liters of water per person daily required in emergency situations, causing widespread disease and death. The report also claims that desperate civilians are resorting to drinking seawater to survive.
HRW further asserts that the true scale of the harm caused by Israel’s actions, including the destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system, may never be fully understood due to a lack of disease tracking. However, the report relies on just 66 biased interviews and lacks credible evidence to substantiate its claims.
Contrary to HRW’s narrative, Israel has kept four water pipelines and key infrastructure, such as water pumping and desalination facilities, operational throughout the conflict. In addition, Israel has facilitated the delivery of more than 1.2 million tons of humanitarian aid, including new water tankers, into Gaza, according to JBN news reports.
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oren Marmorstein, criticized the report as full of lies, emphasizing that Israel has ensured that humanitarian aid continues to enter Gaza in full compliance with international law.
The report also fails to address the diversion of humanitarian aid by Hamas. Evidence has surfaced showing that Hamas has diverted hundreds of millions of dollars in aid meant for the population, using force to seize supplies and store them in secret warehouses before selling them at inflated prices. Profits from this scheme are then funneled into funding terrorism.
