Gaza City faces dire water crisis following damage to water supply line

Gaza City is facing severe water crisis as damage to the main supply line and local pipelines has left millions without reliable access to clean water.

Municipal officials say more than 85 percent of the city no longer receives water on a regular basis, following the disruption of the Mekorot water line east of Gaza City and widespread damage to water infrastructure from Israeli military operations.

With pipelines destroyed and municipal crews blocked from entering restricted areas to carry out repairs, neighborhoods now rely on irregular and insufficient water deliveries.

"There is a water deficit of more than 90 percent. This has made conditions much worse for displaced people, whose numbers in Gaza City now exceed one million. More than 85 percent of the city no longer receives regular water, deepening the humanitarian crisis amid extremely difficult health and environmental conditions," said Husni Mahna, Gaza municipality spokesperson.

For displaced families sheltering across the city, water scarcity has become a daily struggle.

Water trucks are few and cannot meet the needs of Gaza's overcrowded population.

"We are suffering greatly from the lack of water. We get only one or two cups every five days. One or two water trucks are not enough. In Yarmouk area, we face a severe shortage of drinking water and even basic household water," said Mahmoud Al-Hessi, a displaced Palestinian.

Humanitarian organizations warn that the continued disruption of water systems could have long-term consequences, including increased risks of disease and environmental damage.

"People will need that access of water straight to their homes. That's why we continue to call [for] more humanitarian assistance, like pipes that can be used to repair the damaged water systems here, be allowed into Gaza. And at the end of the day, the obligation lies with Israel, as the occupying power in Gaza, to facilitate that access," said Pat Griffiths, a spokesperson for International Committee of the Red Cross.

Gaza City faces dire water crisis following damage to water supply line

Gaza City faces dire water crisis following damage to water supply line

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Thursday presided over a State Council executive meeting that studied work on building a unified national market and reviewed and approved a plan for the development of a modern emergency response system during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).

Noting that building a unified national market is essential to advancing high-quality development, the meeting called for deepening institutional frameworks in areas such as property rights protection, market access, fair competition, social credit and market exit mechanisms.

The meeting also urged efforts to advance high-standard connectivity of market infrastructure to facilitate smooth economic circulation and effectively reduce logistics costs across society.

Emergency management is critical to protecting people's lives and property, the meeting said. It called for accelerating the development of a modern emergency response system, deepening reform and innovation in emergency management, and improving coordinated response mechanisms.

Efforts should be made to strengthen risk prevention at the source, enhance monitoring, forecasting and early warning, and accelerate a shift in governance toward proactive prevention, according to the meeting.

A draft revision of the Law on the People's Bank of China was also discussed and approved in principle at the meeting, which decided to submit the draft to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for deliberation.

Chinese premier chairs State Council executive meeting