In the heart of a battered Gaza City, thirst is becoming a silent weapon. Tens of thousands of Palestinians, forced from the north and east by relentless Israeli bombardments, are now crammed into the western districts, places never meant to hold so many. Water, already scarce, is disappearing entirely.

The soaring heat scorches tents and makeshift shelters, but what torments residents most is the emptiness of water tanks. Gaza’s municipalities, themselves paralysed by fuel shortages and infrastructure damage, say they cannot reach the main control valves. The few wells that still function are running on fumes, with no parts or supplies allowed into the Strip to make critical repairs.

Gaza’s main water sources, vital wells and distribution points, have either been bombed or lie beyond reach in areas under evacuation orders. But many families have nowhere to go. They remain, dehydrated and displaced, waiting for water that no longer flows.

Once again, civilians pay the highest price. The humanitarian system is on the verge of collapse, and yet the blockade tightens. In Gaza, the right to water, like so many other rights, has become a distant dream.