Human Rights Watch accused Israel of committing “acts of genocide” in Gaza by deliberately depriving Palestinian civilians of adequate access to water.
It says Israel's actions include intentional damage to water and sanitation infrastructure.
The campaign group says this likely caused thousands of deaths, which it says also amounts to “committing the crime against humanity of extermination”.
Israel rejected The HRW report as “propaganda”.
In an article onthe Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson said the group was “once again spreading its murderous slander… The truth is the complete opposite of HRW's lies.”
The 179-page report states that “since October 2023, Israeli authorities have deliberately obstructed Palestinians' access to the adequate amount of water necessary for their survival in the Gaza Strip.”
It claims Israel intentionally damaged infrastructure, including solar panels powering processing plants, a reservoir and a spare parts warehouse, while also blocking fuel for generators.
It says Israel has also cut off electricity supplies, attacked repairers and blocked the entry of repair equipment into Gaza.
“This is not just negligence,” said Tirana Hassan, executive director of HRW. “This is a calculated policy of deprivation that has led to the deaths of thousands of people from dehydration and disease, which is nothing short of a crime against humanity of extermination and an act of genocide.”
The report is based on interviews with dozens of Palestinians in Gaza, including water authority officials, sanitation experts and health workers, as well as satellite images and data from October 2023 to September 2024.
Israel launched a major military offensive in Gaza after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 others hostage.
At least 45,129 people have been killed in Gaza since the offensive began, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry. It does not quantify the number of people who died due to lack of access to water or other similar causes.
The HRW report notes that to constitute a crime of genocide, the alleged actions require proof of intent. He says the findings, including statements made by senior Israeli officials, “could indicate such an intention.”
But, rejecting HRW's allegations about of the terrorist organization Hamas.
He said water pipes and pumping and desalination facilities remained operational, and tankers had repeatedly delivered supplies to Gaza through Israeli crossings.
“This report is full of lies that are appalling, even when compared to HRW's already low standards,” he added.
The HRW report is the latest in a series of accusations by human rights groups and others that Israel is committing genocide in its Gaza campaign.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) – the UN's highest court – is also currently considering a case brought by South Africa accusing Israel of genocide.
The 1948 Genocide Convention, adopted following the Nazi Holocaust of European Jews, defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious “.
Israel has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them “completely baseless” and motivated by anti-Semitism. He claims he did not intentionally harm civilians in Gaza and is only fighting Hamas.
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