Israeli evacuation orders shut 10 wells, worsening water crisis in Gaza

The new Israeli evacuation orders for areas in eastern Gaza have resulted in the shutdown of 10 water wells, Deir al-Balah Municipality in the central Gaza Strip announced on Saturday.

Ismail Sarsour, head of the municipality's Emergency Committee, told Anadolu: “The new Israeli evacuation orders for eastern Deir al-Balah have effectively taken 10 out of 19 wells out of service.”

“Access to three other wells west of Salah al-Din Street has become hazardous,” Sarsour stated.

He emphasized that the water situation in Deir al-Balah will become extremely dire in the coming days, especially with the shutdown of the eastern wells, which serve as a critical water supply for areas west of Salah al-Din Street, including the city center.

Deir al-Balah is currently home to hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians, particularly in the city center and its western areas.

Residents in the Gaza Strip are already facing significant challenges in accessing potable water, often traveling long distances to secure just a few liters. In various parts of the strip, displaced people are rationing drinking water in fear of future shortages.

According to the Government Media Office in Gaza, the ongoing Israeli war has displaced nearly 2 million people out of a total population of 2.3 million.

The Israeli army issued immediate evacuation orders on Saturday for residents of Deir al-Balah.

On Tuesday, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) reported that approximately 84% of Gaza's territory has been under evacuation orders since Oct. 7.

Israel's continued onslaught on Gaza has drawn international condemnation for violating a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

The ongoing war has resulted in over 40,000 Palestinian deaths and has left vast areas of Gaza in ruins, exacerbated by a severe blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.* Writing by Ikram Kouachi