Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Israel of committing acts that constitute genocide and extermination by depriving Palestinians in Gaza of access to clean water, resulting in the deaths of thousands. The rights organisation issued a report — “Extermination and Acts of Genocide: Israel Deliberately Depriving Palestinians in Gaza of Water” — in which it said that the Israeli authorities have intentionally deprived Palestinians in Gaza of access to safe water for drinking and sanitation needed for basic human survival.

Israel has denied the allegations, claiming compliance with international law and framing its attacks as self-defence in response to the 7 October, 2023, cross-border incursion led by Hamas.
“The truth is the complete opposite of HRW’s lies,” claimed the Israeli foreign ministry on social media. “Since the beginning of the war, Israel has facilitated the continuous flow of water and humanitarian aid into Gaza, despite operating under constant attacks from Hamas terror organisation.”
However, it stressed that proving genocide legally would require clear evidence of intent. Statements by senior Israeli officials were included which suggest a desire to “destroy Palestinians,” leading the report to argue that this systematic deprivation of water “may amount to the crime of genocide.”
“What we have found is that the Israeli government is intentionally killing Palestinians in Gaza by denying them the water that they need to survive,” said Lama Fakih, Middle East director for Human Rights Watch, during a press conference.
In response, Israel stated that it had ensured water infrastructure remained operational and facilitated the delivery of humanitarian aid. According to Israeli officials, international partners have sent water tankers through Israeli crossings, and over 1.2 million tons of humanitarian supplies have been allowed into Gaza, including shipments last week.
The Genocide Convention of 1948, drafted in response to the Holocaust, defines genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.”
After HRW interviewed 66 Palestinians from Gaza, four employees of Gaza’s Coastal Municipalities Water Utility (CMWU), 31 healthcare professionals and 15 people working with UN agencies and international aid organisations in Gaza, it concluded that Israeli authorities have intentionally created conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of Palestinians in Gaza in whole or in part.
HRW also analysed satellite imagery, photographs and videos captured between the beginning of the hostilities in October 2023 and September 2024, as well as data collected and estimates produced by doctors, epidemiologists, humanitarian aid organisations and water and sanitation experts.
HRW is the second major rights organisation within a month to describe Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, following a report by Amnesty International that reached the same conclusion, accusing Israel of committing acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
It also comes just weeks after the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
“Governments should not contribute to the grave crimes that Israeli officials are committing in Gaza, including crimes against humanity and genocidal acts, and should take all steps possible to prevent further harm” said Tirana Hassan, executive director at Human Rights Watch. “Governments arming Israel should end their risk of complicity in atrocity crimes in Gaza and take immediate action to protect civilians with an arms embargo, targeted sanctions, and support for justice.”