10 mar 2020
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Rakan Abed El Rahman for Middle East Eye
Experts say Israeli policies and wars are to blame for a deepening water crisis in Gaza that will have detrimental effects on public health, especially on the most vulnerable segment of society: children. [Transcript by Ali Salam] Ahmed Hills – Water and Environmental Expert “96% of Gaza’s residents rely on groundwater for their daily needs, including drinking water. More than 35% – 40% of the Gaza Strip’s sewage is not connected to a sewage system because of the Israeli blockade and the Palestinian political division. |
So, Gaza’s groundwater is exposed to pollution. Only 2% of Gaza’s groundwater is drinkable, and that does not cover people’s needs.
The valleys of the Gaza Strip are dry in general. Huge dams were built on its upstreams with a calculated capacity to block as much rainfall as possible, which would fall on all of Palestine and flow into the Gaza Strip. The Israeli occupation built the dams and rebuilt reservoirs next to them, filling up the reservoirs with the water it blocks.”
Khalid Al-Tibi – Director of Gaza’s Environmental Health Department
“The segment of society most affected by polluted water are children and the elderly. Polluted water can cause serious health problems, especially diarrhea, typhoid or paratyphoid, which is caused by salmonella microbes. All these diseases can develop in children when they drink polluted water.”
Monther Shublaq – Director of Coastal Municipalities Water Utility
“To improve the water situation in the Gaza Strip, step-by-step solutions must be found, such as small desalination plants, rainwater collection, wastewater treatment, seawater desalination and infrastructure like reservoirs and pipelines. Pollution form sewage has environmental, health and social effects. It also causes further degradation of the groundwater.
The most significant challenges that led to our water disasters have been the three Israeli wars on the Gaza Strip. The wars continuously destroyed all the reservoirs, wells and pipelines. Israel is not subject to any reliable system. Some projects have been delayed for four or five years. There was talk of bringing heavy equipment for the water authorities, such as drills, in order to maintain the pipeline, wells and networks.
This equipment was bought in 2015, so it’s been five years and this equipment is still at a storage unit in the West Bank.”
Ahmed Al-Hor – Water Vendor
“The percentage of people who can’t afford to buy water is between 80% to 90%. The situation is difficult. Sometimes, I know a customer does not have drinkable water, and I ask him if he wants to buy it, but he replies ‘no,’ because he doesn’t have money.”
Walid Badwan – Gaza Resident
“I fill my gallon containers with water from this street tap because I cannot afford to buy water at all. Water is essential for my home, but I cannot buy it. I walk long distances to get drinkable water. This is, of course, a burden on me and my children. Usually the tap water is cut off for half of the day. And when tap water is available, it is not good for drinking.”
Mohamed Abo Al-Kher – Gaza Resident
“Tap water causes diseases like kidney stones. Every month, when I have enough money, like 5 shekels ($1.50), I buy water. Sometimes I have to borrow money.”
Khalid Al-Tibi – Director of Gaza’s Environmental Health Department
“Private desalination plants remove salt and harmful chemicals from polluted water. Then the water is sterilised and sold to citizens for drinking. But this is a temporary solution, not a strategic one until we get our water rights from the Israeli occupation.”
Ahmed Hills – Water and Environmental Expert
“When water is drawn from wells or taken from desalination stations, it is exposed to different types of bacteria, viruses and parasites, especially during the distribution process.”
Khalid Al-Tibi – Director of Gaza’s Environmental Health Department
“Water [from private desalination plants] doesn’t meet the required health standards for human consumption. Calcium deficiencies lead to osteoporosis and lack of fluoride leads to tooth decay.”
Produced and Translated by Rakan Abed El Rahman
The valleys of the Gaza Strip are dry in general. Huge dams were built on its upstreams with a calculated capacity to block as much rainfall as possible, which would fall on all of Palestine and flow into the Gaza Strip. The Israeli occupation built the dams and rebuilt reservoirs next to them, filling up the reservoirs with the water it blocks.”
Khalid Al-Tibi – Director of Gaza’s Environmental Health Department
“The segment of society most affected by polluted water are children and the elderly. Polluted water can cause serious health problems, especially diarrhea, typhoid or paratyphoid, which is caused by salmonella microbes. All these diseases can develop in children when they drink polluted water.”
Monther Shublaq – Director of Coastal Municipalities Water Utility
“To improve the water situation in the Gaza Strip, step-by-step solutions must be found, such as small desalination plants, rainwater collection, wastewater treatment, seawater desalination and infrastructure like reservoirs and pipelines. Pollution form sewage has environmental, health and social effects. It also causes further degradation of the groundwater.
The most significant challenges that led to our water disasters have been the three Israeli wars on the Gaza Strip. The wars continuously destroyed all the reservoirs, wells and pipelines. Israel is not subject to any reliable system. Some projects have been delayed for four or five years. There was talk of bringing heavy equipment for the water authorities, such as drills, in order to maintain the pipeline, wells and networks.
This equipment was bought in 2015, so it’s been five years and this equipment is still at a storage unit in the West Bank.”
Ahmed Al-Hor – Water Vendor
“The percentage of people who can’t afford to buy water is between 80% to 90%. The situation is difficult. Sometimes, I know a customer does not have drinkable water, and I ask him if he wants to buy it, but he replies ‘no,’ because he doesn’t have money.”
Walid Badwan – Gaza Resident
“I fill my gallon containers with water from this street tap because I cannot afford to buy water at all. Water is essential for my home, but I cannot buy it. I walk long distances to get drinkable water. This is, of course, a burden on me and my children. Usually the tap water is cut off for half of the day. And when tap water is available, it is not good for drinking.”
Mohamed Abo Al-Kher – Gaza Resident
“Tap water causes diseases like kidney stones. Every month, when I have enough money, like 5 shekels ($1.50), I buy water. Sometimes I have to borrow money.”
Khalid Al-Tibi – Director of Gaza’s Environmental Health Department
“Private desalination plants remove salt and harmful chemicals from polluted water. Then the water is sterilised and sold to citizens for drinking. But this is a temporary solution, not a strategic one until we get our water rights from the Israeli occupation.”
Ahmed Hills – Water and Environmental Expert
“When water is drawn from wells or taken from desalination stations, it is exposed to different types of bacteria, viruses and parasites, especially during the distribution process.”
Khalid Al-Tibi – Director of Gaza’s Environmental Health Department
“Water [from private desalination plants] doesn’t meet the required health standards for human consumption. Calcium deficiencies lead to osteoporosis and lack of fluoride leads to tooth decay.”
Produced and Translated by Rakan Abed El Rahman
7 mar 2020
Malek Wael Issa, 8
Wadi Hilweh Information Center issued its monthly report for the month of February 2020, during which it monitored Israeli violations in the city of Jerusalem.
The center said that the occupation authorities, with their various institutions, continued violations in the city of Jerusalem.
Two Martyrs in Jerusalem
In February, two Palestinianswere martyred at Lions Gate - one of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque - under the pretext of carrying out or attempting to carry out a shooting and stabbing attack.
On 6/2/2020, the Palestinian Shadi Al-Banna, 45, was martyred during a shooting at Lions Gate. He is from the city of Haifa, and the occupation authorities handed over his body several days after he was killed.
On 22/2/2020, Maher Za’atra, 33, was martyred after being shot by the Israeli occupation forces in the area of Lions Gate, on the pretext of trying to carry out a stabbing attack.
The Center stated that the occupation authorities continue to detain the bodies of four Jerusalem Martyrs in refrigerators, they are: Martyr Mesbah Abu Sbeih (since October 2016), Martyr Fadi Qunbar (since January 2017), Martyr Aziz Aweisat (since May 2018), and Martyr Maher Za’atra.
Injuries
In the middle of last February, the occupation soldiers targeted the child, Malek Wael Issa, 8 years old, with a rubber bullet, which led to the loss of his left eye, a fractured skull, bleeding in the brain, and the loss of fluid surrounding the tissues.
The child Malek was returning to his house after the end of his school day accompanied by his sisters, and after purchasing candy from one of the groceries near the bus station where he got off, the Israeli soldiers who fired rubber bullets were present despite the crowded street.
On February 22nd, Mrs. Anisa Abulhawa, 43, was wounded by a bullet in the thigh, as she came out of Lions Gate, while the soldiers chased a young man who they claimed was carrying a knife, and he was shot.
Abulhawa explained that she tried to take shelter in the nearby wall while seeing the soldiers running towards one of the young men, and during that a member of the forces who was wearing civilian uniform and a police hat pointed his weapon towards the young man who was only 10-15 meters away from her, and shot him in the upper part of his body, and then another bullet was fired directly at her by the soldiers stationed at Lions Gate.
The bullet hit her thigh and penetrated it, then the soldiers randomly opened fire in the area. While trying to hide again, one of the soldiers kicked her bag and phone, but one of the young men working inside a grocery store intervened and explained to the soldiers that she had nothing to do with it.
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Hundreds of settlers carried out their daily incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, which take place on a daily basis, except for Fridays and Saturdays every week, during two sessions; morning and afternoon, through Dung Gate, which has been controlled by the occupation authorities since the occupation of the city of Jerusalem.
The occupation authorities continued to impose restrictions on the worshipers during the Dawn prayers on Fridays since last month. Worshippers answered calls to hold mass Dawn prayers on Fridays at Al-Aqsa Mosque to reject the violations of the occupation authorities and its settlers in Al-Aqsa and against the worshipers.
The occupation forces assaulted and pushed the worshipers who are expelled from Al-Aqsa Mosque on February 7thand 14th, before and after the Dawn prayers in Al-Mujahideen road between Hutta and Lions gates, while municipal staff issued fines to worshipers for eating cakes or distributing coffee, and they also confiscated coffee and nuts from them.
The occupation police stationed at the gates of Al-Aqsa also imposed restrictions on the worshipers entering Al-Aqsa to perform the Dawn prayer, by preventing them from entering (men and women) for no reason, and holding their ID cards at the gates and checking bags.
During the past month, the occupation forces stormed Al-Aqsa after the Friday Noon prayers on 14/2 and seized a banner placed in its courtyards against the “deal of the century”.
The officers and occupation forces also stormed Al-Aqsa after the Friday Noon prayers on 21/2 and carried out arrests from its courtyards and gates, and raided the chapel of Bab Al-Rahma and confiscated banners placed on its gates and destroyed balloons. They also confiscated a banner from its roof, on the first anniversary of its reopening after it was closed for 16 years.
The occupation authorities continued to issue expulsion and deportation orders from Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City of Jerusalem, and orders to ban entry to West Bank cities and travel ban. The center monitored the issuance of 36 orders last month, including preventing the governor of Jerusalem Adnan Gheith from entering the West Bank for a period of 6 months and preventing him from communicating with Jerusalemiteofficials and activists, and expelling the president of the Islamic Cemetery Committee, Mustafa Abu Zahra, and the secretary of Fatah Movement in Jerusalem, Shadi Mattour, from Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as other activists and worshipers.
Confiscating money, jewelry, and a car from the prisoners and their families
At the beginning of February, the Israeli occupation forces stormed 9 houses of Jerusalemite prisoners in the villages and neighborhoods of the city, and confiscated cash, money and vehicles from the freed prisoners and prisoners in the occupation prisons, under the pretext that they received money from "hostile entities", in reference to their salaries received from the Palestinian Authority.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center stated that the Israeli army minister, Naftali Bennett, issued a decision to cut the salaries of 9 Jerusalemite prisoners, on the pretext of "receiving monthly salaries from the Palestinian Authority, which encourages them to terrorism and carry out attacks", in the wake of monitoring prisoners' accounts led by the so-called "National Commission for an Economic War against Terrorism" in the Ministry of Security, the “Shabak”, the police, the prison authority, and the "Authority to Prevent Money Laundering" and other entities "as stated in Bennett’s resolution."
The center monitored the storming of the homes of captive Mohammad Hamad from Shu’fat;captives Wissam Kastiro and his brother Noor Kastiroin Beit Hanina, the captive KhalilJayyousi in al-Tur, the captive Malik Salman in Beit Safafa, the captive Amir Farroukh in Silwan, and the released prisoners Majdi Abbasi, Naji Odeh and Basil Abu Tayeh in Silwan, and Ihab Bkeirat in the village of Sur Baher.
Last month, the occupation intelligence prevented the holding of a festival against the deal of the century, as it stormed the festival headquarters, "Paradise Club” in Shu’fat refugee camp, took out the people present, handed them the prevention order and summoned some of them for investigation.
Arrests
The occupation authorities continued executing arrests in the city of Jerusalem, and the center monitored 156 cases of arrest, including two children under the age of 12 - less than the age of responsibility, 45 minors, and 6 women.
The most arrests took place in the village of Issawiya (55), followed by Silwan (32), in addition to 45 arrests from Al-Aqsa, kits streets and the Old City of Jerusalem.
Among the detainees was Sanad Al-Torman, from Al-Tur village. The occupation authorities claim that he carried out a run-over attack against a group of soldiers in West Jerusalem.
Demolition
The occupation municipality continued to demolish homes in the city of Jerusalem, under the pretext of "not licensing", at a time when it imposes impossible conditions and large sums on money to start the licensing procedures that may extend for many years.
The Information Center monitored the demolition of 16 facilities in the city of Jerusalem, 11 of which were self-demolished by their owners.
The demolition was mainly concentrated in Silwan and Jabal Al-Mukabber.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center issued its monthly report for the month of February 2020, during which it monitored Israeli violations in the city of Jerusalem.
The center said that the occupation authorities, with their various institutions, continued violations in the city of Jerusalem.
Two Martyrs in Jerusalem
In February, two Palestinianswere martyred at Lions Gate - one of the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque - under the pretext of carrying out or attempting to carry out a shooting and stabbing attack.
On 6/2/2020, the Palestinian Shadi Al-Banna, 45, was martyred during a shooting at Lions Gate. He is from the city of Haifa, and the occupation authorities handed over his body several days after he was killed.
On 22/2/2020, Maher Za’atra, 33, was martyred after being shot by the Israeli occupation forces in the area of Lions Gate, on the pretext of trying to carry out a stabbing attack.
The Center stated that the occupation authorities continue to detain the bodies of four Jerusalem Martyrs in refrigerators, they are: Martyr Mesbah Abu Sbeih (since October 2016), Martyr Fadi Qunbar (since January 2017), Martyr Aziz Aweisat (since May 2018), and Martyr Maher Za’atra.
Injuries
In the middle of last February, the occupation soldiers targeted the child, Malek Wael Issa, 8 years old, with a rubber bullet, which led to the loss of his left eye, a fractured skull, bleeding in the brain, and the loss of fluid surrounding the tissues.
The child Malek was returning to his house after the end of his school day accompanied by his sisters, and after purchasing candy from one of the groceries near the bus station where he got off, the Israeli soldiers who fired rubber bullets were present despite the crowded street.
On February 22nd, Mrs. Anisa Abulhawa, 43, was wounded by a bullet in the thigh, as she came out of Lions Gate, while the soldiers chased a young man who they claimed was carrying a knife, and he was shot.
Abulhawa explained that she tried to take shelter in the nearby wall while seeing the soldiers running towards one of the young men, and during that a member of the forces who was wearing civilian uniform and a police hat pointed his weapon towards the young man who was only 10-15 meters away from her, and shot him in the upper part of his body, and then another bullet was fired directly at her by the soldiers stationed at Lions Gate.
The bullet hit her thigh and penetrated it, then the soldiers randomly opened fire in the area. While trying to hide again, one of the soldiers kicked her bag and phone, but one of the young men working inside a grocery store intervened and explained to the soldiers that she had nothing to do with it.
Al-Aqsa Mosque
Hundreds of settlers carried out their daily incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque, which take place on a daily basis, except for Fridays and Saturdays every week, during two sessions; morning and afternoon, through Dung Gate, which has been controlled by the occupation authorities since the occupation of the city of Jerusalem.
The occupation authorities continued to impose restrictions on the worshipers during the Dawn prayers on Fridays since last month. Worshippers answered calls to hold mass Dawn prayers on Fridays at Al-Aqsa Mosque to reject the violations of the occupation authorities and its settlers in Al-Aqsa and against the worshipers.
The occupation forces assaulted and pushed the worshipers who are expelled from Al-Aqsa Mosque on February 7thand 14th, before and after the Dawn prayers in Al-Mujahideen road between Hutta and Lions gates, while municipal staff issued fines to worshipers for eating cakes or distributing coffee, and they also confiscated coffee and nuts from them.
The occupation police stationed at the gates of Al-Aqsa also imposed restrictions on the worshipers entering Al-Aqsa to perform the Dawn prayer, by preventing them from entering (men and women) for no reason, and holding their ID cards at the gates and checking bags.
During the past month, the occupation forces stormed Al-Aqsa after the Friday Noon prayers on 14/2 and seized a banner placed in its courtyards against the “deal of the century”.
The officers and occupation forces also stormed Al-Aqsa after the Friday Noon prayers on 21/2 and carried out arrests from its courtyards and gates, and raided the chapel of Bab Al-Rahma and confiscated banners placed on its gates and destroyed balloons. They also confiscated a banner from its roof, on the first anniversary of its reopening after it was closed for 16 years.
The occupation authorities continued to issue expulsion and deportation orders from Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City of Jerusalem, and orders to ban entry to West Bank cities and travel ban. The center monitored the issuance of 36 orders last month, including preventing the governor of Jerusalem Adnan Gheith from entering the West Bank for a period of 6 months and preventing him from communicating with Jerusalemiteofficials and activists, and expelling the president of the Islamic Cemetery Committee, Mustafa Abu Zahra, and the secretary of Fatah Movement in Jerusalem, Shadi Mattour, from Al-Aqsa Mosque, as well as other activists and worshipers.
Confiscating money, jewelry, and a car from the prisoners and their families
At the beginning of February, the Israeli occupation forces stormed 9 houses of Jerusalemite prisoners in the villages and neighborhoods of the city, and confiscated cash, money and vehicles from the freed prisoners and prisoners in the occupation prisons, under the pretext that they received money from "hostile entities", in reference to their salaries received from the Palestinian Authority.
Wadi Hilweh Information Center stated that the Israeli army minister, Naftali Bennett, issued a decision to cut the salaries of 9 Jerusalemite prisoners, on the pretext of "receiving monthly salaries from the Palestinian Authority, which encourages them to terrorism and carry out attacks", in the wake of monitoring prisoners' accounts led by the so-called "National Commission for an Economic War against Terrorism" in the Ministry of Security, the “Shabak”, the police, the prison authority, and the "Authority to Prevent Money Laundering" and other entities "as stated in Bennett’s resolution."
The center monitored the storming of the homes of captive Mohammad Hamad from Shu’fat;captives Wissam Kastiro and his brother Noor Kastiroin Beit Hanina, the captive KhalilJayyousi in al-Tur, the captive Malik Salman in Beit Safafa, the captive Amir Farroukh in Silwan, and the released prisoners Majdi Abbasi, Naji Odeh and Basil Abu Tayeh in Silwan, and Ihab Bkeirat in the village of Sur Baher.
Last month, the occupation intelligence prevented the holding of a festival against the deal of the century, as it stormed the festival headquarters, "Paradise Club” in Shu’fat refugee camp, took out the people present, handed them the prevention order and summoned some of them for investigation.
Arrests
The occupation authorities continued executing arrests in the city of Jerusalem, and the center monitored 156 cases of arrest, including two children under the age of 12 - less than the age of responsibility, 45 minors, and 6 women.
The most arrests took place in the village of Issawiya (55), followed by Silwan (32), in addition to 45 arrests from Al-Aqsa, kits streets and the Old City of Jerusalem.
Among the detainees was Sanad Al-Torman, from Al-Tur village. The occupation authorities claim that he carried out a run-over attack against a group of soldiers in West Jerusalem.
Demolition
The occupation municipality continued to demolish homes in the city of Jerusalem, under the pretext of "not licensing", at a time when it imposes impossible conditions and large sums on money to start the licensing procedures that may extend for many years.
The Information Center monitored the demolition of 16 facilities in the city of Jerusalem, 11 of which were self-demolished by their owners.
The demolition was mainly concentrated in Silwan and Jabal Al-Mukabber.
