Israel has resumed water supply to southern Gaza on Sunday, following pressure from the United States. The U.S. succeeded in convincing Tel Aviv to ease the blockade which was imposed on the region after the outbreak of the war with the Hamas-controlled movement.
The Israeli Minister of Energy and a member of the Mini Security Cabinet, Yuval Katz, stated that the decision to open the water supply was made for a specific point in southern Gaza’s residents.
He further emphasized that this agreement “aligns with our policy and allows us to tighten the unprecedented blockade on Gaza without electricity, water, or fuel until Hamas is eliminated.”
Meanwhile, Jake Sullivan, White House National Security Advisor, confirmed on Sunday that Israeli officials informed him of resuming water supply to southern Gaza.
Sullivan told CNN, “I have been in contact with my Israeli counterparts who informed me in the past hours that they have resumed water supply to southern Gaza.”
On the third day of the war, Israel’s Defense Minister, Yuval Galant, announced cutting off all water, electricity, and fuel supplies to Gaza as part of a comprehensive blockade on the territory’s residents. The blockade was implemented as the war with Hamas erupted.
Water: A Matter of Life or Death
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) warned about the dangers of cutting off water in Gaza.
UNRWA’s Commissioner-General, Philip Lazarene, said in a statement that the water shortage in Gaza has become a matter of life and death, he added that it is necessary to deliver fuel to Gaza to provide water for two million people.
The statement further explained that people are now forced to use unclean well water, increasing the risk of spreading waterborne diseases, especially with the electricity cut-off, which contributed to the shortage of water supplies.