Gaza's municipal authorities have warned of an unprecedented water catastrophe after Israeli strikes crippled the enclave's remaining water infrastructure. Municipal spokesperson Assem Al-Nabeeh confirmed Friday that safe drinking water can no longer be distributed, with fuel shortages threatening to shut down the last functioning facilities.  

The statistics paint a dire picture: 85% of Gaza's water and sanitation systems have been disabled, including 1,545km of water pipelines completely destroyed and 47 wastewater stations hit by bombardment. What remains of the network now hangs by a thread as fuel reserves dwindle.  

"This isn't just infrastructure damage - it's systematic dehydration of a civilian population," Al-Nabeeh told reporters. The destruction compounds Gaza's pre-existing water crisis, forcing families to drink contaminated supplies as cholera and other waterborne diseases spread.  

With temperatures rising and no reprieve from bombardment, Gaza's 2.3 million residents now face an impossible choice: risk drinking polluted water or face potentially fatal dehydration. As one father in Rafah put it: "Israel bombs the water, then watches us slowly die of thirst."  

The international community continues to ignore what Palestinian officials describe as a deliberate weaponisation of water - a war crime under international law. As taps run dry across Gaza, the world's silence grows louder.