Weekly Israel-Hamas war megathread - week of August 19

Thousands Flee Central Gaza After Israel’s Latest Evacuation Order (New York times)

Thousands of Palestinian civilians in Gaza were forced to flee their homes and shelters once again this week, after the Israeli military ordered evacuations on Thursday from a swath of neighborhoods in Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza, and from parts of central Gaza the day before.

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In a statement, the Israeli military said Thursday that its forces had “intensified their operational activities in the area” of Deir al Balah, after its intelligence indicated the presence of Hamas infrastructure and fighters there and in Khan Younis.

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More than 150,000 displaced people have been living in the central Gaza areas subject to Wednesday’s evacuation order, according to the United Nations. Nearly a dozen such orders issued this month by the Israeli military have so far affected an estimated 250,000 people and disrupted the movement of aid, the United Nations said. The multiple orders to flee between Aug. 8 to 17 have caused the loss of essential health services for many, the United Nations said, affecting 17 health facilities in total.

Before the orders issued this month, the United Nations had already estimated that around 90 percent of Gaza’s population of more than two million people had been forced to leave their homes since the war began because of evacuation orders, Israeli bombardments and ground fighting.

Israel pummels water systems in Gaza (CNN)

Guns swinging from their hips, two soldiers in black combat boots and green tactical clothing appear to wire explosives to pumps at the Canada Water reservoir in Rafah, southern Gaza.

Moments later, an orange blaze tears through the critical facility in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, as ribbons of grey smoke erupt into the sky.

The blast was captured in a now deleted video, which was reportedly shared by an Israeli soldier on Instagram and geolocated by CNN. Satellite imagery shows that the reservoir was damaged between July 26 and July 27. Destroyed buildings are visible in the surrounding area.

The reservoir could hold 3 million liters of water and was central to the treatment and distribution of water in the Rafah Governate, according to the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), providing water for 150,000 people prior to October 7, when the war began.

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There have been many water facilities damaged or destroyed by Israel’s 10-month-long assault in Gaza, according to the UN and various other international bodies, compounding the civilian population’s suffering, risking the spread of disease and leading human rights experts to accuse Israel of using water supply as a weapon.

The destruction of the Canada Water reservoir “is certainly a breach of international humanitarian law (IHL),” Mark Zeitoun, director general of the Geneva Water Hub, a Swiss institute specializing in hydro-diplomacy, told CNN.

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The amount of water available in Gaza works out at 4.74 liters of water (1 gallon) per person per day, Oxfam reported in July, adding that this is “just under a third of the recommended minimum in emergencies and less than a single toilet flush.” The international nonprofit has accused Israel of using water as a “weapon of war,” saying Palestinians in Gaza have “almost no water to drink, let alone to bathe, cook, or clean.”

Extreme summer heat in Gaza is making a desperate shortage of water even worse for Palestinians already stalked by famine and struggling with repeated displacement.

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Israel’s war in Gaza has reduced supplies of fuel, chlorine and spare parts, stifling water production, purification and sewage pumping, according to the UN. Around 70% of all water and sanitation facilities in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, the WASH Cluster, a United Nations-led group that coordinates humanitarian efforts for water, sanitation and hygiene, said on July 24, citing satellite analysis from the UN Satellite Centre.

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Wim Zwijnenburg, who investigates the environmental impact of conflicts for the Dutch peace organization PAX, told CNN the level of damage done to Gaza’s water systems is “the most severe we’ve seen so far in any conflict in the last 10 years, probably even longer.”

“What we’re seeing so far… is the near-complete destruction of all water infrastructure, which includes water pumping stations, water wells, the whole piping system in Gaza,” Zwijnenburg said. “The few functioning pumps that are still operating, the quality of the water is so bad… (But) people have no choice but to drink it.”

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The Israeli offensive has displaced up to 1.9 million people – nearly the entire population – in Gaza, according to the UN. People in sprawling tent camps say they can barely access potable water or sanitation facilities in areas polluted by raw sewage and teeming with bugs. Women endure several menstrual cycles without washing, according to the UN. Others queue in the heat to use toilets at overwhelmed hospitals – or risk being chased by dogs to use washrooms in the middle of the night. The UN previously recorded one improvised shelter with only 25 toilets for 14,000 people inside and 59,000 outside.

Palestinians told CNN they must prioritize scarce water supplies for consumption instead of bathing, washing clothes or cleaning dishes. Parents told CNN they struggle to find enough gas or fuel to boil and sterilize water, increasing the risk of illness. Some give their children food that requires minimal water for preparation – but offers poor nutritional value. Others describe water contaminated during transportation in unclean tanks.

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[R]elief workers say what’s coming in is not nearly enough to respond to soaring needs, blaming Israel for sustained aid restrictions, blocked access to parts of the north, destruction of roads and attacks on relief convoys. Humanitarian workers and government officials told CNN in March that Israeli officials were repeatedly rejecting much needed aid, including water purification tablets and filtration systems, at entry points to Gaza. COGAT described the testimony given to CNN at the time as “false accusations.”

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In some areas, water has risen from $7 for 1,000 liters (about 264 gallons) to $45 to $50, Haj-Hassan said. Hamouda, the father-of-three displaced in Deir al-Balah, said the daily cost of water for him and his family has risen from one-third of a dollar in October to $2.