In a report titled "Water as a Weapon", the medical charity said Israel had systematically restricted water access since October 2023, limiting energy supplies and equipment needed for water treatment and distribution, with many requests rejected or left unanswered.
"The deliberate deprivation of water to Palestinians is an integral part of Israel's genocide", the organization said in a statement accompanying the report, which drew on data collected in 2024-25.
Around 90% of water and sanitation infrastructure — including desalination plants, wells and sewage systems — had been destroyed or damaged since the offensive began, the report said.
Water shortages have also put lives directly at risk. The report documented cases of civilians, including children, killed during shooting incidents at water distribution points.
"Water shortages, dire sanitation conditions and overcrowding are driving a surge in diseases such as skin infections and digestive problems", said MSF emergency coordinator Claire San Filippo. In 2025, skin diseases accounted for nearly 18% of all medical consultations, and between May and August, almost a quarter of patients experienced gastrointestinal illness.
MSF called on Israel to "immediately restore water supplies" to Gaza's population and urged its allies to press for an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid.
U.N. warns Gaza ceasefire is increasingly fragile
At the Security Council, Deputy Secretary-General Khaled Khiari said the ceasefire in Gaza was "increasingly fragile" and that the situation across the region was "systematically deteriorating." Some 1.8 million residents remain displaced and dependent on aid, and rebuilding the territory could cost up to $71.4 billion over a decade.
Delegates warned that without meaningful political progress, increased humanitarian access and a disarmament agreement, the current truce could collapse.
EU Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis called Israel's passage of a death penalty law "a serious regression" and urged a return to earlier commitments. He also stressed the need for "the lasting disarmament of Hamas, full withdrawal of Israeli forces and deployment of international stabilization forces," adding that there was "strong international consensus" in support of a two-state solution.
Discussions also touched on a U.S.-backed peace plan envisaging Gaza's demilitarization, a temporary Palestinian administration and large-scale reconstruction. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair described the moment as a "breakthrough opportunity" and called for financial mobilization, though talks on Hamas disarmament remain deadlocked. Washington identified Hamas as the main obstacle to progress.
Nine-year-old boy killed in Israeli strike
The human toll of the conflict continued on Tuesday. A 9-year-old boy, identified as Adel, was killed by an Israeli strike while collecting cardboard and firewood in eastern Khan Younis. Four other Palestinians died in the same attack.
The Israeli military said it had struck an individual approaching the so-called yellow line separating Israeli-held territory from the rest of Gaza.
Despite the ceasefire, which has been in place since October 2025, violence has not stopped. At least 800 Palestinians have been killed since the truce took effect, according to local medical sources. Both Israel and Hamas accuse each other of violations.
(jh)
Source: Polish Radio, PAP