A report by the Applied Research Institute-Jerusalem (ARIJ) criticized Israel for destroying water infrastructure and “depriving Palestinian citizens of their right to access and control water sources.”

The NGO stressed that these actions contradict international laws and regulations, including several agreements adopted by the United Nations.

As an example, Israel declared the land adjacent to the Jordan River a military zone, which prevents Palestinians from accessing it.

The violations in the Gaza Strip are evident, such as the repeated bombardments against the water infrastructure, the institution pointed out. Added to this is the depletion of the aquifer of the enclave, which caused the entry of seawater, which in turn raised the level of salinity.

The lack of fuel and equipment has undermined the ability of more than 1.1 million Palestinians to have access to sufficient, clean and affordable water for personal and domestic use, it criticized.

Poor water quality causes various diseases, especially affecting children and the entire Palestinian education system, it said, and revealed that 83 percent of schools in the Gaza Strip are not equipped with technology to treat water.

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