As Gaza endures its tenth month under relentless bombardment and siege, over 1.2 million Palestinians now face a deadly new threat: acute dehydration. Municipal officials in Gaza City have sounded the alarm after the complete halt of water pumping from Mikrot since Sunday, compounded by a crippling shortage of fuel needed to operate the remaining few wells.

With more than 60 water wells destroyed by Israeli strikes, alongside major reservoirs and pipelines, the Strip’s fragile water infrastructure lies in ruins. The small number of wells still functioning provide barely 12 percent of the minimum daily water needs. Many displaced Palestinians, already suffering starvation, now survive on as little as two litres of water a day, far below emergency thresholds.

The main desalination plant in northern Gaza has been forced to shut down entirely, leaving vast areas without access to safe water for days. Humanitarian efforts are paralysed by the unrelenting siege, with no corridors open for aid or repairs.

Despite these overwhelming challenges, local teams continue their efforts to salvage what remains, appealing urgently to the international community for fuel, equipment, and intervention before water scarcity claims even more lives in a war that has already devastated every aspect of civilian life.