Gaza’s government media office has condemned Israel’s ongoing attacks on water infrastructure, which have turned water into a slow-killing weapon by systematically denying Palestinians in Gaza access to clean water and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the enclave.

In a statement, it said Israel’s continued severing of crucial water lines, destruction of wells and water stations, and cutting of electricity and fuel supplies required to operate water and sanitation facilities — in addition to its refusal to let repair teams reach the damaged facilities — was part of “a broader strategy of collective punishment.”

As a result of Israeli attacks and power and fuel cuts, over 85 percent of water and sanitation facilities and assets are completely or partially out of service and water supply rates have declined to an average of 3-5 litres per person per day. According to the WHO, the minimum per person per day requirement for survival in emergencies is 15 litres.