Destruction of Desalination Plant Deepens Gaza's Drinking Water Crisis

Gaza City, Gaza Strip – Zuhair al-Nasr, 74, walked through the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City carrying two water cans, looking for a place to fill them. He wasn't sure where he would find drinking water for his family. Over the past week, he has barely been able to fill his cans. The water he manages to collect comes from groundwater wells, not the desalinated water he once relied on.

Just a few weeks ago, Zuhair didn't have to search. A newly built desalination plant near the tent camp where he lives had brought clean drinking water to the area. Pipes were connected, giving residents access to water around the clock. For about two months, the plant made life under Israel's war on Gaza a little more bearable.

Zuhair lives with his extended family—13 children and more than 20 grandchildren—in a tent, as his home in Beit Hanoon, north of Gaza City, was destroyed by Israel during the war. Finding water is a crucial daily task, and the desalination plant saved him from having to carry water long distances.

But on August 24, Israel bombed the desalination plant, further violating the October ceasefire agreement it had accepted. The attack destroyed the plant and damaged nearby tents and homes. Without it, Zuhair and other Palestinians across Sheikh Radwan have been forced back to long treks for water.

“We were comfortable before. Now we are suffering. Water is the lifeline of our lives—for drinking, cooking, laundry, and bathing,” Zuhair said.

When water brings life

Zuhair said his neighborhood became cleaner and more vibrant after the desalination plant was built earlier this year. A steady, reliable supply of clean water encouraged people to return and resettle. “Where there is water, there is life,” he said.

For families who lost their homes and were displaced by the war, the plant provided a rare sense of stability. But the relief lasted only about two months. When he received Israel's forced evacuation orders, Zuhair said he hoped the desalination plant would not be targeted.

Zuhair remains shocked by the destruction. He pointed out that the facility was a civilian water station serving families in an area already critically short of drinking water. He dismissed Israel's allegations that the site was used for purposes other than supplying water, calling the claim that it sat next to a weapons depot false. “Why destroy a place that provides water to people?” Zuhair asked.

Plant built for a thirsty neighborhood

Mohammed Mahmoud, 53, owner of the desalination plant, said the facility had been operating for only two months before the attack. According to Mahmoud, it was the only desalination plant serving most of the Sheikh Radwan area, providing free desalinated water to 17 tent camps and gathering centers. Mahmoud estimated his losses at no less than $500,000. The desalination machinery and equipment alone cost around $250,000.

The plant was built with equipment and materials that are difficult and expensive to obtain during wartime. The destruction came as the broader drinking water crisis in Gaza has deepened. A survey cited by the United Nations found that 90% of Gaza's population faced frequent and unpredictable disruptions in accessing safe, clean, and reliable water for drinking, cooking, and hygiene in early July. In Gaza City, that figure reached 92%.

Around 75% of Gaza's population still relied on water delivered by tanker as their primary source of drinking water in late July, with humanitarian partners transporting more than 20,000 cubic meters daily to thousands of collection points. However, the system is struggling to meet demand. UNICEF reported in August that up to 63% of people could not collect the minimum of 6 liters of water per person per day for drinking and cooking.

When tankers don't come

Nada Arouqi, 36, a mother of four living in the Mukhabrat area northwest of Gaza City, said water tankers usually reach her neighborhood only twice a week. Sometimes, they don't come at all. Now, whenever a tanker arrives, she has to make the most of it. “It has become an emergency,” she said. She fills six water cans and carries them from the collection point to where her family lives.

With no separate supply for washing or cleaning, the family depends on the same water for drinking and other daily needs. When water doesn't come, she must buy drinking water. The shortage also raises concerns about the cleanliness of water from tankers. Nada said one of her children got a stomach illness and had to be hospitalized for three or four days. The doctor told her the illness was water-related.

Her mother-in-law, Maryam Arouqi, 60, who lives in the same tent camp, described another consequence of the shortage: the physical burden of carrying water home. She has to fill a large container in the house three or four times a day because the family relies on it throughout the day. There is no tap water or household groundwater pump, she said. “I have to carry water. My bones are breaking because of this,” Maryam said. She described tendon injuries, hand problems, chest pain, and high blood pressure, and has been advised to stop heavy work.

But stopping is not an option when water is essential for the whole household. She and her grandchildren continue walking with empty cans, looking for places to fill them. “Our struggle for water never ends. Who can live without water? Water is life,” she said.