Human Rights Watch said that the Israeli occupation authorities have imposed living conditions designed to destroy part of the population in Gaza since October 2023, by depriving civilians there of adequate access to water, which has likely led to thousands of deaths, and thus committed the crime against humanity of extermination, as well as acts of genocide.

The organization held the occupation authorities responsible for the crime against humanity of genocide and for acts of genocide, noting that this pattern of behavior, along with statements indicating that some Israeli officials wanted to destroy the Palestinians in Gaza, amounts to the crime of genocide.

It called on governments and international organizations to take all necessary measures to prevent genocide in Gaza, to stop military aid, to review bilateral agreements and diplomatic relations with Israel, and to support the International Criminal Court and other accountability efforts.

In a report released today, Thursday, entitled “Genocide and Genocide: Israel’s Deliberate Denial of Water to Palestinians in Gaza,” Human Rights Watch said that the occupation authorities have deliberately deprived Palestinians in Gaza of safe drinking water and sanitation necessary for basic human survival, stopping and later restricting water pumping to Gaza; disrupting most of the water and sanitation infrastructure by cutting off electricity and restricting fuel; deliberately destroying and damaging water, sanitation, and water treatment infrastructure; and preventing the entry of essential water supplies.

“Water is essential to human life, yet for more than a year, the Israeli government has deliberately deprived Palestinians in Gaza of the bare minimum they need to survive,” said Tirana Hassan, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “This is not just neglect; it is a calculated policy of deprivation that has led to the deaths of thousands from dehydration and disease, and amounts to nothing less than the crime against humanity of extermination and an act of genocide.”

Human Rights Watch concluded that Israeli authorities deliberately created living conditions designed to physically destroy Palestinians in Gaza in whole or in part, and that this policy, imposed as part of the mass killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, meant that Israel committed the crime against humanity of genocide, which is still ongoing, and that this policy amounts to one of the five “acts of genocide” under the 1948 Genocide Convention.

Since the start of its war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the occupation authorities have cut off electricity and fuel to the Gaza Strip. On the ninth of the same month, former Defense Minister Yoav Galant announced a “complete siege” of Gaza, saying: “There will be no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel, everything is closed.”

The occupation authorities continue to restrict the entry of water, fuel, food and aid into Gaza, and to cut off electricity to Gaza, which is essential for the operation of the infrastructure necessary for the continuation of life, despite the fact that the International Court of Justice approved interim measures in January, March and May 2024 ordering the Israeli authorities to protect the Palestinians from genocide and to provide humanitarian assistance within this protection, and specified in March that this includes water, food, electricity and fuel.

The occupation authorities also prevent the entry of almost all water-related aid into Gaza, including water purification systems, water tanks, and materials needed to repair the water infrastructure.

Human Rights Watch found that the occupation forces deliberately attacked, damaged, or destroyed many key water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities.

The destruction of Gaza’s health care system, including health care tracking, means that confirmed cases of illness, disease, and deaths likely linked to waterborne diseases, dehydration, and starvation are not systematically tracked or reported. However, based on interviews with health care professionals and epidemiologists, it is likely that thousands of people have died as a result of the actions of the occupying authorities, adding to the more than 44,000 people killed directly as a result of the ongoing war.

Hundreds of thousands have been affected by diseases and health conditions likely caused or contributed to by lack of safe and adequate water, including diarrhea, hepatitis A, skin diseases, and upper respiratory infections. Water deprivation is particularly harmful to infants, pregnant and lactating women, and people with disabilities.

Human Rights Watch said it found that some statements by senior Israeli officials calling for the cutting off of water, fuel, and aid, coupled with their actions, amounted to direct and public incitement to genocide.

She pointed out that the ongoing blockade imposed by the Israeli government on Gaza, as well as the closure it has been imposing for more than 17 years, also amounts to collective punishment of civilian citizens, which is a war crime, and the closure also forms part of the ongoing crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution committed by the Israeli authorities against the Palestinians.

The organization found that many governments undermined accountability efforts and continued to supply weapons to the Israeli government despite the clear risk of complicity in serious violations of international humanitarian law.

“Governments should not contribute to the serious crimes committed by Israeli officials in Gaza, including crimes against humanity and acts of genocide, and should take all possible steps to prevent further harm,” Hassan said.

“Governments arming Israel must end the risk of complicity in the atrocity crimes in Gaza, and take immediate action to protect civilians with an arms embargo, targeted sanctions, and support for justice.”