The Electronic Intifada 27 February 2025
A Palestinian woman and her daughter in front of a makeshift shelter built next to their destroyed home in Jabaliya, northern Gaza, 5 February.
ActiveStillsFifteen months of relentless Israeli assaults on Gaza have led to the complete collapse of wastewater infrastructure in the territory, deepening an already severe environmental and humanitarian catastrophe.
The systematic targeting of wastewater treatment plants, pipelines and pumping stations has severely curtailed sanitation services, exacerbating public health emergencies and accelerating environmental degradation.
Israel’s destruction of essential infrastructure in Gaza has created living conditions that threaten the survival of more than 2 million Palestinians. This aligns with the definition of genocide under Article 2(c) of the 1948 Genocide Convention, which prohibits acts intended to impose conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of a group.
Prior to the 2023-2025 genocide, Gaza’s wastewater infrastructure was already under severe strain due to the Israeli blockade, which severely restricted access to essential materials and spare parts necessary for maintaining and upgrading wastewater treatment facilities, leading to outdated and poorly functioning systems.
This situation was exacerbated by rapid population growth and political instability, resulting in the regular discharge of untreated wastewater into the Mediterranean Sea, thereby exposing millions of people to significant health and environmental hazards.
By 3 June 2024, the situation had dramatically worsened as Israeli forces had demolished all water and sanitation warehouses in Gaza City and Khan Younis – Gaza’s two largest cities – while 70 percent of sewage pumps throughout the territory were destroyed. By 26 June 2024, the destruction was total, with all wastewater treatment plants in Gaza wiped out.
This systematic targeting of critical infrastructure has left millions of people without access to safe water and sanitation, fueling widespread disease outbreaks and accelerating environmental degradation. The absence of wastewater management has also severely impacted marine ecosystems, soil quality and public health, turning Gaza into an uninhabitable zone.
The collapse of wastewater treatment plants and sewage pumps has resulted in the uncontrolled discharge of raw sewage into streets, agricultural lands and water sources, contaminating the environment and accelerating the spread of disease.
Health consequences
The World Health Organization reported already in November 2023 that damaged water and sanitation systems and limited access to cleaning supplies have made it nearly impossible to maintain basic infection prevention and control in health facilities. This has put tens of thousands of displaced and injured people at risk of infections and waterborne diseases.
The destruction of Gaza’s healthcare and sewage systems has triggered a severe public health crisis.
In the first year of the war in Gaza, at least 669,000 cases of acute watery diarrhea were recorded, alongside more than 132,000 cases of jaundice, a key indicator of hepatitis, according to WHO.
The collapse of sanitation infrastructure has resulted in widespread contamination of water sources, accelerating the spread of life-threatening diseases. More than 225,000 cases of skin diseases have been reported, alongside the spread of more than 1.1 million cases of acute respiratory infections as of 17 October 2024, according to WHO.
Beyond the immediate health crisis, the destruction of wastewater systems is causing long-term environmental degradation.
The uncontrolled release of sewage into the Mediterranean Sea threatens marine ecosystems, while groundwater contamination further limits Gaza’s already scarce supply of clean drinking water.
The shutdown of wastewater treatment plants has resulted in the daily discharge of approximately 130,000 cubic meters of wastewater into the Mediterranean, exacerbating pollution and increasing health risks. Without urgent intervention, these impacts will continue to endanger public health, food security and the region’s fragile environment.
Reconstruction
Efforts to rebuild wastewater infrastructure face significant obstacles. Ongoing Israeli assaults, material entry restrictions and chronic fuel shortages hinder progress. The exact cost of repairing the wastewater infrastructure is not detailed separately, but is included in some estimates.
The World Bank Group, European Union and United Nations estimate that the total recovery and reconstruction cost for Gaza would exceed $53 billion. Short-term costs alone, calculated for just the first three years of reconstruction, total approximately $20 billion, according to their assessment published earlier this month.
Without substantial international aid and technical support, Gaza cannot rebuild its wastewater system beyond patching a few pipelines or partially operating damaged treatment plants. The destruction is too severe and the resources available within Gaza are insufficient to restore full wastewater management.
The destruction of Gaza’s wastewater infrastructure underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive and sustainable reconstruction plan. Advanced treatment technologies, local staff training and international technical assistance are critical to building a resilient wastewater system. Immediate international action is also essential to halt the assault, ease restrictions on materials and funding, and ensure accountability for the destruction inflicted.
Rebuilding Gaza’s wastewater system requires an innovative and phased approach, given the systematic destruction of treatment plants, pipelines and pumping stations.
The systematic destruction of Gaza’s wastewater infrastructure is a calculated act of environmental warfare, pushing the region into an irreversible humanitarian and ecological crisis. The collapse of sanitation systems is not just a side effect of war – it is a deliberate strategy to make Gaza uninhabitable.
Without urgent international intervention, the region will face long-term environmental devastation, increased disease outbreaks and further humanitarian catastrophe.
Islam Elhabil is a Palestinian from Gaza, a Malaysia-based microplastics specialist, PhD researcher, and engineer specializing in engineering solutions for pressing global environmental issues.
