DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — When water trucks motor into the sprawling tent camp of Muwasi, hundreds of people surge forward, fighting to fill dented plastic jerry cans. Yehia Abu Daqqa, a mother of several children, rations what she can capture: one can per child, poured carefully into a sippy cup for her youngest daughter. “The water truck arrives, and some 500 to 1,000 people throw themselves at it,” she said. “They start fighting. It’s real suffering.”
The chaos reflects a water crisis that has persisted more than six months after the October 2025 ceasefire that halted most of the fighting between Israel and Hamas. According to the United Nations, nearly 90% of Gaza’s water infrastructure — desalination plants, sewage treatment facilities, underground pipes — was destroyed during the 15-month war. The U.N.-led WASH Cluster estimates that 80% of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents now depend on water delivered by trucks to central distribution points, a system that leaves many families making long walks for uncertain supplies.
“On two days, the water trucks come, and on the other two days, they don’t,” said Azmy Abu Lehya, who sometimes walks more than 500 meters to his neighborhood’s distribution point, unsure whether he will get water to lug back home.
Israel’s military body responsible for humanitarian affairs, COGAT, says it no longer limits the import of water and has helped ensure that pipelines can bring in enough for sanitation, drinking and washing. COGAT told the AP that Israel allows more than 70,000 cubic meters of water into Gaza each day — roughly 33 liters (8.8 gallons) per person — exceeding the humanitarian minimum of 15 liters (4 gallons) daily. But many Gazans say that most bottled water sold by private vendors is unaffordable; widespread destruction has stripped them of jobs and steady incomes. Sharif Abu Helal, a father of eight in Muwasi, said he doesn’t even ask the price when he sees water bottles at the market. “I am not ready to buy each person a bottle of water. I have eight people. Is a gallon of water enough for them?”
The water shortage is compounded by Israel’s restrictions on items it considers “dual use” — materials like pipes, cement, fuel and chlorine that the government fears could be repurposed for weapons. These restrictions have hindered repairs and the installation of distribution networks.
In a report released this week, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) directly accused Israel of using water “as a weapon of war,” describing a “systematic” deprivation that amounts to “a campaign of collective punishment.” The group, Gaza’s second-largest water provider, said based on interviews conducted in late 2025 that Israel frequently blocked entry of water pumps and other infrastructure, forcing aid workers to salvage old or damaged parts. MSF noted that water shortages have far-reaching consequences, fueling sewage overflows, sanitation failures and the spread of waterborne diseases among 2.1 million people.
“Israeli authorities know that without water life ends, yet they have deliberately and systematically obliterated water infrastructure in Gaza, while consistently blocking water-related supplies from entering,” said Claire San Filippo, MSF emergency manager. The report acknowledged it did not assess current conditions but stressed that restrictions remain — there are still not enough pipes available to create distribution networks.
COGAT strenuously rejected the MSF report, calling it “a desperate attempt to regain legitimacy.” The agency maintained that it facilitates sufficient water flow and does not restrict bottled water.
The broader reconstruction of Gaza’s water and sewage systems, identified as a top priority in the strip’s rebuilding plan, has stalled because Israel insists Hamas completely disarm first — a demand the militant group has not met. While the ceasefire silenced most guns, the struggle for clean water has continued, with families rationing by the cup and entire neighborhoods reliant on irregular truck deliveries.