International campaign: “Israeli” Army responsible for catastrophic water conditions

Local Editor, 24-11-2009

The international campaign to break the siege on the Gaza Strip has held the "Israeli" occupation responsible for consequences of the worsening humanitarian and living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Strip.

The campaign, in a statement on Monday, highlighted the warnings by Amnesty International and the coastal municipalities' water authority on the real dangers posed to the Gaza citizens' lives as a result of the dangerous condition of water in the Strip.

Moreover, the campaign expressed surprise at the international silence and blind eye regarding such a critical deterioration due to the ongoing "Israeli" occupation authority's siege and closure of crossings before necessary equipment to repair the water plants and to improve water quality.

In addition, it urged the world community and all human rights groups to intensify their efforts and to immediately act to pressure the "Israeli" occupation authority into opening all crossings especially those necessary for reconstructing the infrastructure of potable water and to re-build the damaged sewage system.

The campaign asked the donor countries to expedite implementing their pledges in Sharm El-Sheikh conference on the Gaza reconstruction, and asked the Ramallah authority to prioritize the issue of rehabilitating the water utilities in the Strip.

Amnesty International had issued a report earlier in October in which it revealed the extent to which "Israel's" discriminatory water policies and practices are denying Palestinians their right to access to water, where "Israel" uses more than 80 per cent of the water from the Mountain Aquifer, the main source of underground water in the occupied Palestinian territories, while restricting Palestinian access to a mere 20 per cent.

Not only that, but also Amnesty International called upon "Israel" to stop its discriminatory acts that include restrictions imposed on the movement of people and goods in addition to the closure of the borders and crossings and give the Palestinians their basic needs and rights.