An Israeli airstrike has obliterated a water desalination plant in the Gaza Strip, compounding the humanitarian crisis as the region struggles with severe shortages of water and food. The Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, reported that the facility was targeted early on April 4 in the al-Tuffah neighbourhood of Gaza City.

Hamas condemned the strike as a clear act of war, aimed at tightening the siege and inflicting suffering on innocent civilians. In a statement, the group accused the Israeli occupation forces of systematically escalating their military campaign, deliberately targeting densely populated civilian areas and depriving the population of essential resources.

The recent surge in violence has resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries, with local sources reporting that the situation has reached catastrophic levels. The ongoing military operations are characterised by unconventional warfare tactics, including starvation and dehydration, affecting over two million people deprived of basic necessities.

Hamas stated that the occupation forces are committing unprecedented atrocities against civilians across Gaza, particularly in areas such as Khuzaa, al-Nasr, and al-Shujaiya, resulting in numerous casualties in recent hours. The movement expressed outrage that these violations of international law continue under the watchful eye of the global community, which they accuse of complicity through silence.

In a report released on April 3, the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor indicated that thousands of crimes have been documented, revealing systematic atrocities that reflect a genocidal intent. They asserted that the scale and nature of these acts surpass even those of notorious terrorist groups, characterising the situation as one of the most extensive extermination campaigns in contemporary history.

As of Thursday, Gaza's Health Ministry reported that more than 1,163 individuals have been killed since the resumption of intense bombardments on March 18, bringing the total death toll since the outbreak of conflict to over 50,523. The ongoing violence underscores the urgent need for international action to protect the rights and lives of the Palestinian people.