The municipality of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip condemned on Monday the Israeli army's bombing of a drinking water reservoir in the Tal al-Sultan neighborhood as a grave violation of humanitarian norms.
“The Israeli soldiers' detonation of the main water reservoir in Tal al-Sultan is a crime against humanity and perpetuates a policy of collective punishment,” Ahmed Soufi, the mayor of Rafah, said in a statement.
The incident has raised alarm about the worsening water crisis in the area.
“The destruction of the water reservoir will exacerbate the crisis in the city, and we urge involved international entities to intervene and halt the Israeli occupation's crimes,” the mayor said.
Earlier on Monday, the Israeli army acknowledged that their soldiers were responsible for the bombing of the water reservoir in Tal al-Sultan. According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, an investigation into the incident has been initiated.
One of the soldiers posted a video of the explosion on social media with the caption “Destruction of the Tel Sultan water reservoir in honor of Shabbat,” the daily said.
In recent days, activists circulated a video on social media showing an Israeli soldier planting an explosive device at the main water reservoir in Tal al-Sultan, followed by the detonation.
Local institutions and municipalities in Gaza have repeatedly accused the Israeli military of deliberately destroying water networks, wells, and desalination plants, exacerbating the drinking water crisis.
Also, fuel restrictions imposed by Israel have further hindered the operation of remaining desalination facilities in the region.
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian group Hamas.
More than 39,360 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 90,900 injured, according to local health authorities.
Over nine months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.
* Writing by Mohammad Sio.
