Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel of Genocide Against Palestinians in Gaza
Human Rights Watch (HRW), one of the preeminent international non-governmental organizations, has released a damning report accusing Israel of committing acts of genocide and extermination against the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip. Unlike similar allegations made by Amnesty International earlier, HRW has concentrated its inquiry on the deliberate deprivation of water that Israel has inflicted on Gaza’s residents, a practice that could lead to the deaths of thousands.
Tirana Hassan, HRW’s director, stated, "For more than a year, the Israeli government has intentionally denied Palestinians the minimum amount of water they need to survive." The report argues that the deprivation of water has systematically created living conditions that threaten the physical destruction, in whole or in part, of the Palestinian people, which constitutes one of the criteria for genocide as outlined by international law.
To date, Israel has not officially responded to HRW's allegations, maintaining a stance that denies any wrongdoing in Gaza. The Israeli government often dismisses accusations from organizations like HRW as antisemitic.
Before the onset of war, residents of Gaza had access to approximately 83 liters of water per person per day, barely meeting the basic needs for drinking, cooking, and washing. In contrast, Israelis enjoy a water supply of 247 liters daily. The World Health Organization recommends a minimum intake of 50 to 100 liters per person per day for adequate health. However, due to the war, the daily water supply for Palestinians has plummeted to just 29 liters. For perspective, washing one's hands for 30 seconds requires nearly 4 liters of water.
According to HRW, this drastic reduction in water availability was a result of intentional actions by Israel. The Gazan water supply is derived from three main sources: desalination plants, aqueducts controlled by Israeli authorities, and a coastal aquifer. Before the conflict, the aquifer provided about 80% of the water for Gazans, but the water was often unsatisfactory for human consumption due to slight salinity and contamination.
During the war, Israel has cut fuel supplies essential for desalination plants, minimized water transfer from aqueducts, and systematically destroyed the infrastructure that facilitates water access, often making resupply efforts exceedingly difficult or impossible.
Satellite images reviewed by HRW indicate that Israeli army bulldozers have destroyed vital infrastructure. For instance, they obliterated solar panels necessary for a desalination plant’s operation. After an initial complete halt, the plants now function at reduced capacity. The destruction of dozens of water reserves and cisterns has also been documented, with some destroyed intentionally during military operations, such as an incident in Tal Sultan near Rafah.
In February, an emergency aqueduct built by the United Arab Emirates to deliver water to southern Gaza was destroyed by Israeli military actions soon after its completion.
The water shortage, coupled with reliance on contaminated water, has led to a public health crisis in Gaza, resulting in numerous preventable deaths. HRW has noted that while precise death tolls due to dehydration cannot be confirmed, interviews and research conducted indicate a significant probability of fatalities attributed to these conditions. Since the war began, there have been approximately 670,000 reported cases of acute diarrhea and 132,000 cases of jaundice, a liver ailment linked to hepatitis. Treatment for typically manageable diseases has turned fatal in many instances, with child mortality rates jumping from a 1% risk to between 5% and 10% in cases of hepatitis A.
Genocide, as defined by the Genocide Convention adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, includes actions committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. Importantly, genocide is not limited to physical annihilation; it also encompasses psychological harm and the enforcement of unbearable living conditions.
To substantiate allegations of genocide, it must be demonstrated that there was intent to inflict such harm on the population. HRW argues that Israel's deliberate policies and the statements of its leaders furnish ample evidence of such intent. A notable statement by the former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, declaring, "We are fighting human animals and we act accordingly," underscores this perspective. His orders for a total siege of Gaza included cutting off electricity, food, fuel, and water, a blockade that lasted weeks, failing to revert humanitarian aid to pre-war levels essential for survival in the region.
Israel currently faces genocide allegations at the International Court of Justice, where judges have found the claims plausible but have not yet issued a ruling. Additionally, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Gallant are implicated in war crimes and crimes against humanity, with an international arrest warrant issued for them by the International Criminal Court.
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