Israeli forces are destroying water and sanitation infrastructure including through strikes near sites that were being rehabilitated after having been destroyed or damaged in the last war, Oxfam analysis has found.
In a span of four days in the first weeks of the latest escalation, Israel damaged at least eight critical water sources including reservoirs, pipe networks and pumping stations that supplied water to more than 7,000 people in the Bekaa governorate alone.
In Southern Lebanon, where hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes after Israel’s blanket mass forced displacement orders, Oxfam and partners are responsible for carrying out rehabilitation work at 19 important water facilities that provide clean water for up to 60,000 people. Six were damaged by Israeli bombardment in last year’s escalation. There have been confirmed strikes in many of the areas where these facilities are located.
Due to the intensity of the attacks in these areas, Oxfam teams cannot now safely access these sites to assess whether they too are now destroyed or damaged or ensure they are functioning properly so that people remaining in the villages have water. Long term impacts will also be devastating for communities if they don’t have clean water when they are able to return home.
The destruction of civilian infrastructure has not been limited to critical water facilities. Israel has also destroyed electricity networks and bridges, cutting off vital supplies and services for entire towns and villages.
Abby Maxman, Oxfam America’s President and CEO said, “The US and Israel-led attacks against Iran and Iran's retaliation are exacerbating suffering across the region and the world. Millions are fleeing their homes and communities are facing new waves of hunger, disease, and instability. In Lebanon, the U.S. government is enabling Israel's widespread destruction of water infrastructure that is needed for daily survival - just as it did in Gaza. The Trump administration must end its attacks on Iran now, withdraw support for Israel's attacks in Lebanon, and fully comply with international law. We call for all parties to be held accountable for the devastating and unlawful attacks that have taken place."
During the 2024 escalation, Israel damaged more than 45 water networks in Lebanon, impacting almost half a million people, increasing the risk of disease outbreaks and contributing to the loss of livelihoods and green areas. Given the ongoing lack of accountability that has allowed Israel to consistently violate international law across the region, Oxfam is concerned these renewed attacks will see a sharp rise in the destruction of civilian infrastructure that is already occurring.
Despite the scale of destruction and mounting evidence of Israel’s atrocities in Gaza, Oxfam says the international community remains complicit in its silence and, in many cases, support to Israel as it continues to occupy and invade parts of Lebanon.
Bachir Ayoub, Oxfam Lebanon Country Director, said “There must be an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and end to this war.”
“The international community stood by in Gaza and watched Israel’s weaponization of water and its catastrophic consequences to men, women and children there. The same devastation must not be allowed to play out again in Lebanon. Israel must be held to account for its violations and must not be allowed to occupy more land, deny more civilians of their basic rights, and continue to abuse international law without consequence.”
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Note to editors
In the Policy Brief Water Under Fire: Supporting Lebanon’s Water Services Amid Escalating Conflict Oxfam reached out to water establishments across three highly impacted regions in Lebanon after Israeli attacks.
In July 2024 Oxfam Released the report Water War Crimes: How Israel has weaponised water in its military campaign in Gaza presenting a detailed analysis of how the Government of Israel systematically weaponized water against the Palestinians in its latest assault on Gaza.
Before the latest escalation, Oxfam was rehabilitating eight water pumping systems in Mansouri, Nmairiyyeh, Srifa, Zaita, Ankoun, Allousiyyeh, Kfardounin, Jbal Al Botom. Three water networks in Tyre, Kherbit Silm, Khiam, four reservoirs in ater, Toura and Zebkin, and four water filtration systems in Mais Eljabal, Bintjbeil, Kfartebnit, Deir Knaoun Nahr.