An investigation announced on Monday, July 29, is underway into whether Israeli forces who blew up the main drinking water reservoir in Rafah in southern Gaza committed a war crime on July 26. A soldier reportedly posted a video on social media that showed the explosion with the caption: “The destruction of Tel Sultan’s water reserve in honor of Shabbat.”
The order to destroy the water facility allegedly came from Israeli army commanders. However, senior officers reportedly did not sign off on the decision to blow up the reservoir. The water reserve is near a neighborhood that is close to designated humanitarian areas.
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The Geneva Convention bars the destruction of facilities essential for the survival of people during war, including drinking water stations.
The Israeli army said that it is probing the incident as a “suspected” violation of international law and that it may bring the case to Israel’s Military Police for further investigation.
The destruction of the water facility in Rafah follows a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The United Nations announced that Polio had been detected in sewage in parts of Gaza. This comes as access to clean water and basic hygiene become scarcer in the region.
Israeli Defense Forces estimate around 20,000 Palestinians remain in Rafah, which once had around 1.4 million people sheltering there when Israel launched its offensive in May.
According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, the death toll among Palestinians is approaching 40,000 people since the war that started with the Hamas terror attack on Oct. 7.
[LAUREN TAYLOR]
AN INVESTIGATION IS UNDERWAY INTO WHETHER ISRAELI FORCES BLOWING UP THE MAIN DRINKING WATER RESERVOIR IN RAFAH CONSTITUTES A WAR CRIME.
A SOLDIER POSTED A VIDEO ON SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWING THE EXPLOSION– WITH THE CAPTION:
“THE DESTRUCTION OF TEL SULTAN’S WATER RESERVOIR IN HONOR OF SHABBAT.”
THE ORDER TO BLOW UP THE FACILITY ALLEGEDLY CAME FROM ISRAELI ARMY COMMANDERS– BUT SENIOR OFFICERS REPORTEDLY NEVER SIGNED OFF.
THE WATER RESERVE IS NEAR A NEIGHBORHOOD CLOSE TO AREAS ISRAEL DESIGNATED AS HUMANITARIAN AREAS.
THE GENEVA CONVENTION BARS THE DESTRUCTION OF FACILITIES ESSENTIAL FOR THE SURVIVAL OF PEOPLE DURING WAR– LIKE DRINKING WATER STATIONS.
THE ISRAELI ARMY SAID IT’S PROBING THE INCIDENT AS A “SUSPECTED” VIOLATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW AND MAY BRING THE CASE TO ISRAEL’S MILITARY POLICE FOR FURTHER INVESTIGATION.
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE WATER FACILITY FOLLOWS A WORSENING HUMANITARIAN CRISIS IN GAZA.
THE U-N ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK POLIO HAS BEEN DETECTED IN SEWAGE IN PARTS OF GAZA– AS ACCESS TO CLEAN WATER AND BASIC HYGIENE BECOME MORE SCARCE.
THE I-D-F ESTIMATES AROUND 20-THOUSAND PALESTINIANS REMAIN IN RAFAH– WHICH ONCE HAD AROUND 1.4 MILLION PEOPLE SHELTERING THERE WHEN ISRAEL LAUNCHED ITS OFFENSIVE NEARLY THREE MONTHS AGO.
ACCORDING TO THE HAMAS-CONTROLLED GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY– THE DEATH TOLL AMONG PALESTINIANS IS APPROACHING 40-THOUSAND SINCE THE WAR THAT STARTED WITH THE HAMAS TERROR ATTACK ON OCTOBER 7.
FOR MORE UPDATES ON ISRAEL’S WAR IN GAZA– AND THIS ONGOING INVESTIGATION– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.
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