Médecins Sans Frontières says Israeli authorities have systematically restricted water access in Gaza, damaging vital infrastructure and worsening humanitarian conditions for Palestinians.
April 2026- Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has released a report accusing Israeli authorities of systematically using access to water as a weapon against Palestinians in Gaza, describing it as part of a broader campaign of collective punishment and what it calls a deliberate strategy of deprivation.
The report, titled Water as a Weapon: Israel’s Destruction and Deprivation of Water and Sanitation in Gaza, states that repeated restrictions on water access are not isolated incidents but part of a consistent and cumulative pattern. MSF said these actions are taking place alongside attacks on civilians, the destruction of healthcare facilities, and the widespread demolition of homes that have led to mass displacement across Gaza.
According to the report, nearly 90 per cent of Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure, including desalination plants, boreholes, pipelines, and sewage systems, has been destroyed or damaged. MSF teams reported incidents in which the Israeli military allegedly fired at clearly marked water trucks and destroyed boreholes that served as a critical water source for tens of thousands of residents.
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The organisation also noted that violent incidents frequently occurred during water distribution efforts, resulting in injuries to both Palestinians and aid workers, while also damaging essential equipment.
MSF, currently the largest producer and one of the main distributors of drinking water in Gaza after local authorities, said that between May and November 2025, one in every five of its water distributions ran out due to insufficient supply. The group added that displacement orders issued by the Israeli military have prevented teams from reaching areas where water had previously been supplied to hundreds of thousands of people, leading to the suspension of essential services and the loss of lifesaving infrastructure.
The report further stated that Israeli authorities have restricted the entry of key water and sanitation materials into Gaza since October 2023, including electricity, fuel, generators, spare parts, and engine oil needed to operate water treatment and distribution systems.
MSF said one-third of its requests to bring in critical supplies such as desalination units, pumps, chlorine, water tanks, latrines, and insect repellent were either rejected or left unanswered. In several cases, materials that had received prior approval were later denied entry at the border.
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MSF has called on Israeli authorities to immediately restore water access in Gaza to required levels and urged Israel’s allies to use their influence to ensure humanitarian access is no longer obstructed, including the repair and maintenance of water infrastructure.
‘‘He was standing in line with other kids, and they [the Israeli forces] killed him. He was 10 years old… Getting water is not supposed to be dangerous.’’ Said Hanan, a Palestinian woman in Gaza City.
