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Fact Sheet: Gaza’s Deepening Water Crisis Amid the Ongoing Genocide

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16 April 2025

Gaza is currently facing a deliberately manufactured humanitarian catastrophe, driven by Israel’s ongoing blockade and closure, systematic denial of life-sustaining humanitarian aid, and targeted attacks on civilians and vital civilian infrastructure. Since 2 March 2025, the Israeli government has reinstated a total blockade and closure on Gaza, halting the entry of humanitarian aid—including food, fuel, medical supplies, and other supplies necessary for the physical survival of two million Palestinians, half of whom are children.

At the heart of Gaza’s unfolding man-made humanitarian catastrophe is an accelerating water crisis—one of the most urgent and life-threatening consequences of Israel’s ongoing genocide against the Palestinian people. Access to sufficient potable and household water has become increasingly difficult due to the systematic destruction of the water sector.[1] The crisis has worsened following Israel's decision to cut electricity supplies to the largest desalination plant in Gaza, alongside the severing of key water pipelines from the Israeli national water company Mekorot and the ongoing ban on fuel needed to operate water wells and generators.

This fact sheet sheds light on the escalating water crisis in Gaza and the daily suffering of Palestinian civilians as they struggle to obtain adequate, safe drinking water during the ongoing genocide. It outlines key developments, presents testimonies from affected individuals, and concludes with urgent recommendations.


[1] The water sector consists of municipal water supplied to homes and networks for general use, desalinated water for drinking and cooking, with groundwater serving as the main source of water in the region.

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