GAZA (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Hamas Movement said that the ongoing power outage in the Gaza Strip for more than 16 months, and the recent cutting of the limited power line supplying the desalination plant in Deir al-Balah, constitute a war crime that threatens a real starvation catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas affirmed that the use of water and food as weapons against innocent civilians represents a dangerous escalation aiming to deepen the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.
“The government of the terrorist Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court, continues to commit an unprecedented crime of collective punishment against more than two million people in the Gaza Strip.”
Hamas further stressed that the cutting off of water and electricity to the Gaza Strip, and blocking food, relief, and medical supplies for the eleventh consecutive day, constitute a grave breach of the ceasefire agreement and a flagrant violation of international and humanitarian law.
The Movement also noted that the international community’s silence and failure to bear its moral and legal responsibilities regarding these crimes, and its disregard for reports and calls issued by international humanitarian organizations, most recently Amnesty International’s call to prevent the Israeli occupation from using water as a weapon of war, only encourages Israel to continue its criminal policies.
Hamas called on Arab states, the United Nations, and humanitarian organizations to take urgent action to stop these brutal crimes, impose immediate measures to end the blockade of the Gaza Strip, and hold the occupation leaders accountable for their crimes before international justice.
Meanwhile, the Union of Municipalities of the Gaza Strip reaffirmed in a statement issued on Wednesday that the urgent need to provide adequate and sustainable supplies of water and electricity.
“This is especially critical following the shutdown of the central desalination plant due to Israel’s cutting off electricity supplies to Gaza, which has severely disrupted the lives of Palestinians and exacerbated health and environmental crises,” the statement said.
“Gaza faces a comprehensive humanitarian catastrophe due to power outages and border closures.”
“The shutdown has deprived Gaza’s residents of their primary energy source, affecting essential services such as healthcare, water supply, sanitation, and sewage treatment. The shutdown of desalination plants and wastewater treatment facilities has resulted in severe health risks, including the spread of epidemics and diseases in many areas.”
