Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Israel of committing acts of genocide and extermination in Gaza by denying Palestinians access to clean water. In a report released Thursday, the rights group alleged that Israel’s policies have led to mass civilian deaths in Gaza, which they claim constitute crimes against humanity.
HRW’s report states that Israel’s blockade and restrictions on water, electricity, and fuel have decimated Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure, leaving many Palestinians with access to only a few liters of water per day—far below the survival threshold of 15 liters. HRW said these policies could amount to genocide under the 1948 Genocide Convention but acknowledged that proving intent is required for such a determination. The report cited statements by Israeli officials suggesting hostile intent toward Palestinians.
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“What we have found is that the Israeli government is intentionally killing Palestinians in Gaza by denying them the water they need to survive,” said Lama Fakih, HRW’s Middle East director.
Israel has denied these allegations, calling them baseless. In a statement on X, Israel’s foreign ministry stated, “The truth is the complete opposite of HRW’s lies.” It added that Israel has facilitated water and humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza despite attacks from Hamas.
This marks the second major rights group, after Amnesty International, to accuse Israel of genocide in Gaza in recent months. The accusations follow arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a former defense chief for alleged war crimes.
The 184-page HRW report further alleges that water deprivation, compounded by fuel and electricity restrictions, has contributed to a catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Gaza, which has been devastated by over a year of war.