ENG-Water as a Weapon: Israel's destruction and deprivation of Water and Sanitation in Gaza

MSF366169

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INT-Water as a Weapon: Israel's destruction and deprivation of Water and Sanitation in Gaza

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Water as a Weapon: Israel's destruction and deprivation of Water and Sanitation in Gaza

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Unique Identifier Code / URN MSF366169

Date taken / Date Recorded 27/04/2026 12:42 PM

Country Palestinian Territories

Commissioning section MSF-NETHERLANDS

Photographer / videographer / producer Nour Alsaqqa

Usage Rights (MSF) MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, External Media, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Video format h264 (Main) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 2m6s

Maximum Size 1080px × 1920px 150.20 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist 00:00:00:00 - 00:00:02:06

There are no bathrooms.

Where are we supposed to go?

00:00:02:06 - 00:00:04:15

We are not able

to wash our hair.

00:00:04:15 - 00:00:06:12

There is no

water to bathe in,

00:00:06:12 - 00:00:09:01

there is no private

place for us to bathe.

00:00:09:01 - 00:00:11:28

Insects started

coming to our bodies.

00:00:11:28 - 00:00:16:02

We wake up at 4 a.m. and stand

in a long line just to fill water.

Text 1: Israel’s destruction of water and sanitation, in Gaza has far-reaching consequences on people’s health, hygiene, and dignity.

00:00:22:25 - 00:00:25:04

When I finally get water

after all the effort,

00:00:25:04 - 00:00:27:28

and an insect falls in it,

should I pour it out? I can't.

00:00:27:28 - 00:00:29:20

I might even drink it.

00:00:29:20 - 00:00:32:27

Every day I allocate one

thing to do with the water.

00:00:32:27 - 00:00:35:19

I can’t live my life routinely.

00:00:35:19 - 00:00:37:20

If water comes today, we wash.

00:00:37:20 - 00:00:39:13

If water comes today, we cook.

00:00:39:13 - 00:00:41:16

If water comes today, we bathe.

00:00:41:16 - 00:00:44:03

There is no way to

do it all together.

00:00:45:16 - 00:00:48:16

We don't have the ability

to put the water in a barrel.

00:00:48:16 - 00:00:50:27

We don't have a

water barrel or taps.

00:00:50:27 - 00:00:53:25

I'm in a tent, do I put the

water jerrycans [in the tent],

00:00:53:25 - 00:00:55:07

or do I put mattresses?

00:00:55:07 - 00:00:57:28

Or do I put my children,

a family of seven people?

00:00:57:28 - 00:01:01:03

So, I'm forced to put the

water where? Outside.

00:01:01:03 - 00:01:02:28

The sun turns the

jerrycan green,

00:01:02:28 - 00:01:04:26

and it becomes green in colour.

00:01:04:26 - 00:01:08:14

There's no suitable place

for me to put the water.

00:01:08:14 - 00:01:10:25

It's not that the water

comes to us contaminated.

00:01:12:24 - 00:01:14:15

There isn’t

enough water at all.

00:01:14:15 - 00:01:16:10

Water is almost non-existent.

00:01:16:10 - 00:01:18:26

Israel destroyed

all the water sources,

00:01:18:26 - 00:01:20:19

both the good ones and

the non-functional ones.

00:01:20:19 - 00:01:25:06

We used to have clean

water for drinking.

00:01:25:06 - 00:01:26:19

Today, there is none.

00:01:26:19 - 00:01:29:15

We wait for a water supply

truck day after day.

00:01:29:15 - 00:01:32:09

Each person takes two

or three jerrycans.

00:01:32:09 - 00:01:33:09

which is not enough,

00:01:33:09 - 00:01:36:01

the next day you

live without water.

00:01:36:01 - 00:01:38:10

The filth present

in the bathrooms

00:01:38:10 - 00:01:40:29

makes a person not want

to use the bathroom,

00:01:40:29 - 00:01:43:03

because there's no water.

00:01:43:03 - 00:01:44:08

How would we

clean the bathroom?

00:01:44:08 - 00:01:46:14

We go in, get ourselves

dirty, and come out.

Text 2:

Without water, there can be no life.

MSF urges the Israeli authorities to immediately restore water for people at the required levels in Gaza.

Israel’s allies must use their leverage to pressure Israel to stop impeding humanitarian access, including water infrastructure needs.