As Gaza’s infrastructure crumbles under relentless bombardment, the city now faces a new, insidious threat—thirst. The recent suspension of water from the Israeli “Mekorot” supply line has left vast areas, including the Shujaiya neighbourhood, dry. With repair efforts blocked by ongoing military operations, the city is spiralling toward an avoidable public health disaster.

Since the start of the war, 64 out of Gaza’s 86 municipal wells have been destroyed. Only 22 remain, operated precariously through solar power and backup generators—many of which are failing. The municipality warns that without urgent access to solar panels, batteries, and spare parts, even this minimal water supply could vanish entirely, triggering mass outbreaks of disease in a population already ravaged by hunger and displacement.

Beyond water, Gaza’s wounds run deep. More than 75% of the city’s infrastructure lies in ruins. Rubble—some 20 million tonnes—fills the streets, mixed with decomposing bodies, uncollected waste, and a growing infestation of rodents and insects. The destruction of nearly all municipal vehicles has paralysed cleanup efforts, leaving the population exposed to unbearable health risks.

Gaza’s call is not for sympathy, but for action. Without immediate access to basic resources and machinery, an already devastated city may soon become uninhabitable. The silence of the international community, once again, risks becoming part of the machinery of this unfolding catastrophe.