UNICEF: Occupation Hinders Water Basin Repair in Gaza, Warns of Floods

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that the occupation authorities refused to import equipment needed to repair a water reservoir in Gaza, warning that the reservoir could overflow and pose a danger to nearby residents due to flooding and disease.

Local authorities say that Israel destroyed water infrastructure and vehicles used for pumping water during its war against the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which displaced most of the sector’s population of more than two million and left large parts of Gaza in ruins. Most residents now live in camps.

James Elder of UNICEF said that among the damaged facilities was a rainwater reservoir in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City, which has now become contaminated with sewage and is at risk of flooding after heavy rains.

He told journalists that the organization had been working for a year with Israeli authorities and the Trump administration’s Peace Council on a $3 million plan to repair it, but the Israeli Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA), the Israeli military agency overseeing humanitarian affairs in Gaza, rejected the project in recent days.

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, he added, “Toxic sewage could flow into the streets and tents of Gaza City, forcing children and families to leave their temporary homes again and significantly increasing the risk of disease spread. So, we are somewhat bewildered.”

He added, “Let us carry out rehabilitation before this becomes another entirely preventable cause of death for girls and boys in Gaza.”

The CLA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Elder said UNICEF cited security reasons, a clear reference to Israel’s strict regulations governing the entry of materials that could be used by Hamas for civilian or military purposes.

Heavy rains this week have already flooded tens of thousands of tents housing displaced Palestinians in camps scattered across the Gaza Strip.

Four people, including three young children, died when a sand dam collapsed on their tents, an incident that highlighted the looming dangers as the winter rainy season approaches.

The ceasefire agreement mediated by the United States last year called for the eventual reconstruction of Gaza, but little progress has been made as negotiators remain deadlocked over terms for disarming Hamas and withdrawing Israeli forces.

At the same press conference, World Health Organization spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said there were significant risks of infectious diseases in Gaza due to flooding, deteriorating sanitation conditions, inadequate health services, and insufficient water supplies.

He added that nearly one million displaced people across Gaza now face moderate to high risks of flooding.