Al-Sourani: “Targeting infrastructure is a war crime against humanity”

Yunis: “We will cooperate in preparing a comprehensive Israeli violation report in the water sector and submitting it to the international courts”

Gaza: The head of the Water Authority, Eng.Ghunaim, affirmed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the Water Authority and human rights institutions, aiming at support Palestinian water rights and shed the light on the Israeli violations of all International Water laws by targeting water and wastewater facilities.

This came during Minister Ghunaim's meeting with the Director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, Mr. Raji Sourani, and the Commissioner of the Independent Commission for Human Rights, and the Director of the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, Mr. Issam Younis. The meeting aimed at discussing the water and wastewater rights for Gaza people.

Eng. Ghunaim stressed that water water is a humanitarian, political and economic file, which requires concerted efforts by the various parties to expose the Israeli polices, which depriving Palestinian citizens of their water rights. These polices documenting the ongoing violations and restrictions in the sector within the frame of international law including targeting water facilities and causing damage to the infrastructure by putting obstacles in the way of the implementation of projects.

Eng. Ghunaim pointed to the importance of the role of human rights institutions in this aspect, by monitoring and documenting all violations and putting them before the competent international courts, and pursuing them to deter the occupation and its practices. This role should be taken as the water sector is the most complex and most important, as the future of the state is based on water security, which is an essential part of national security.

For his part, Al-Sourani stressed that the occupation, during the recent aggression by targeting infrastructure, committed explicit and organized violations that rise to the level of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He also added that targeting water facilities and wastewater treatment plants aim to eliminating aspects of life, particularly the water. He also assured the importance of reversing these violations and documenting them to be brought to the international courts.

Younis also noted the importance of integration and cooperation between government and human rights institutions. This cooperation is intending to achieve integration in humanitarian, human rights, and service aspects by providing legal assistance and enhancing the ability to prepare Violation Report to be presented to regional and international platforms to hold the occupation accountable for full accountability of these crimes and violations.

The meeting concluded, first to conduct a periodic meetings between all parties to continue exchange information, and intensifying efforts between the various parties, second, to formulate a specialized committee responsible of activate the issue at international level.