On July 17, Oxfam unveiled a shocking report (view below) accusing Israel of using water as a weapon in Gaza, drastically cutting the region’s water supply by 94% through targeted attacks on facilities. With 88% of Gaza’s water wells destroyed and all desalination plants out of commission, nearly a quarter of Gazans are now suffering from preventable diseases. The crisis has worsened with the discovery of poliovirus in Gaza’s sewage, threatening a public health disaster. Oxfam is urgently calling for a ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian aid, and reparations from Israel for the extensive damage to Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure.

The non-governmental organization Oxfam, which works to eradicate poverty worldwide, published a report titled “Water War Crimes” on July 17. The research describes how Israel has violated international law by using water as a weapon. Every three days since the battle started, Israel has bombed five water or wastewater infrastructure. During that time, the amount of water available has decreased by 94% to roughly 4.7 liters per person per day or one-third of an emergency supply. During the fighting, local water output decreased by 84% while water imports decreased by 78%.

Israel stopped importing fuel to run water facilities, spare parts to fix them, and even water quality testing kits to keep an eye on the quality of the water. Eighty-eight percent of Gaza City’s water wells have been destroyed, and all of its desalination plants are no longer operational.

According to Oxfam, 26 percent of Gaza’s population has contracted contagious, easily treatable illnesses. According to Oxfam, Israel must pay for the harm it did to the infrastructure supporting access to water and sanitation, grant “unfettered humanitarian response,” and immediately and permanently end hostilities.

The extremely contagious disease that can result in deformities and paralysis is now a possibility for thousands of individuals living in cramped camps for internally displaced people after the poliovirus was discovered in sewage samples from Gaza.

Tests conducted in collaboration with UNICEF, according to the Gaza ministry, “showed the presence of poliovirus” in the area that has been subjected to a catastrophic Israeli military operation following the Hamas attacks on October 7.

According to the Israeli health ministry, poliovirus type 2 was found in Gaza sewage samples that were examined at a lab in Israel. It added identical findings had been reached by the World Health Organization.

“The presence of poliovirus in wastewater that collects and flows between displacement camp tents and in inhabited areas because of the destruction of infrastructure marks a new health disaster,” the Gaza ministry said.

It drew attention to the “severe overcrowding” and the “scarce water” that is getting tainted with trash and sewage. According to the ministry, Israel’s denial of access to Gaza for sanitary goods “creates a suitable environment for the spread of different diseases.”

“The detection of poliovirus in wastewater threatens a real health disaster and places thousands of people at risk of contracting polio.”

For forty years, UN agencies have been fighting to eradicate polio, which is primarily spread by contaminated water and sewage. However, there have been isolated occurrences of polio in Nigeria as well as a recurrence of the disease in Pakistan and Afghanistan in recent years.

The ministry demanded that the Israeli offensive stop to restore sewage treatment and bring in safe water.

This week, officials in the town of Deir el-Balah, in central Gaza, said that wastewater treatment facilities had been forced to close due to a fuel shortage. They issued a warning that 700,000 civilians—the majority of whom had been displaced—would be in danger of contracting diseases spread by sewage and that roadways “will be flooded by wastewater.”

The findings “raise concerns about the presence of the virus in this region,” according to Israel’s health ministry. Furthermore, it stated that “monitoring and evaluating necessary steps to prevent the risk of disease in Israel” was being done by Israeli health authorities.

Recently, GreatGameInternational reported that UN experts have condemned Israel for a targeted starvation campaign in Gaza, leading to widespread famine. The experts cite the deaths of multiple children from malnutrition as undeniable evidence of the crisis.

Read the report below: