Gaza Herald – Gaza is facing a rapidly deepening humanitarian and environmental catastrophe as its water and sanitation systems approach near-total collapse following extensive destruction caused by Israeli airstrikes and military attacks, according to Gaza Government Media Office.
Officials say that approximately 85% to 90% of Gaza’s water and sewage infrastructure has been completely destroyed due to Israeli bombardment, including main pipelines, sanitation networks, and desalination facilities. This also includes severe damage to private desalination stations and the territory’s only public desalination plant in the northern Gaza Strip.
The scale of destruction has left the water sector on the brink of total breakdown, with more than 80% of Gaza’s 400 water wells rendered out of service as a direct result of Israeli strikes, fuel shortages caused by the siege, or restricted access to sites located in militarized zones and behind imposed boundaries.
In addition, around 85% of private desalination stations have stopped operating, while more than 120 kilometers of main water transmission lines have been destroyed or heavily damaged by Israeli attacks, severely disrupting water distribution across the entire Strip.
The crisis is further intensified by the collapse of municipal capacity, with the Gaza Municipality reporting that it has lost around 85% of its assets and operational equipment due to Israeli airstrikes, including approximately 140 essential vehicles and machinery used for emergency repair and maintenance work.
Authorities warn that the continued destruction of essential infrastructure has pushed Gaza to the edge of a severe public health emergency, increasing the risk of water contamination, disease outbreaks, and environmental collapse, particularly in densely populated displacement areas where access to clean water has become extremely limited.
They emphasize that urgent international intervention is needed to halt the deterioration and restore basic life-saving services for the civilian population.
