Ramallah: The sectoral working group held a meeting chaired by Eng. Mazen Ghunaim, the head of the Water Authority, attended by representatives of donor agencies and United Nations organizations. The meeting focused on strengthening the current partnership with the international community to implement urgent and future interventions aligned with Palestinian priorities and needs in the water sector.

Eng. Ghunaim addressed the suffering of the Palestinian people from the policy of escalation and the increasing pace of Israeli crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, which come in parallel with what the Israeli government seeks to reject and undermine all opportunities to achieve a just and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution following international legitimacy resolutions. He stressed in this regard that the appropriate response to these measures is to emphasize the importance of strengthening the existing partnership, working to support and assist the Palestinian government, respecting the institutional work system in the government, and the supportive role of the international community, as well as providing basic services, managing resources, and rebuilding Gaza.

Minister Ghunaim reviewed the Water Authority's efforts in following up and implementing many interventions to mitigate the repercussions of the Israeli aggression on the water and sanitation sector, which contributed to improving the water situation during this difficult stage, in terms of working to restore water supply and maintenance operations, repairing the main and subsidiary lines from the three supply points, and expanding the scope of supply from them to serve populated areas, as well as maintaining and providing fuel for the central and southern desalination plants, where the productivity of the two plants today reached approximately 5,000 (m³/day), i.e. at a rate of 62% of their production capacity before the aggression. As for the northern station, which had a production capacity (before the aggression) of 10,000 m3 per day, it was severely damaged and needs comprehensive repair and maintenance, and the necessary funding for that was provided. Work was also done to operate several wells, where the production of the wells reached 64,000 m3 of water per day (30,000 for the north and 34,000 for the central and southern regions), in addition to operating several main sewage pumping stations to drain the accumulated wastewater and reduce the problem of its accumulation and flow in the streets and between residential neighborhoods, which causes a major environmental and health problem currently in need of urgent interventions to provide the necessary equipment for its safe disposal.

Eng. Ghunaim emphasized that the current situation in the Gaza Strip requires immediate action to provide the necessary financial funding to address the urgent humanitarian crisis. This cannot wait for a ceasefire or be delayed by standard procedures. It also requires partners to consider the emergency response plan prepared by the Water Authority in cooperation with the World Bank and partners.  This plan should be the sole reference for all relief efforts concerning water and sanitation services in the current and future phases, to avoid duplication of efforts and wasting time on alternative initiatives and plans.

Eng. Ghunaim discussed the water situation in the West Bank, addressing the daily Israeli escalation and targeting of Palestinian cities, villages, and camps. The Israeli occupation army has been deliberately using water as a collective punishment, not just in Gaza, but also by destroying water and sanitation infrastructure in the West Bank during their incursions. The West Bank has been experiencing a severe water crisis for decades due to Israeli control over water resources, which has worsened with the policies of the Israeli government. These policies include providing settlements with 24-hour access to water, while Palestinians receive ed access, and carrying out settlement expansion, land confiscation, and demolishing Palestinian agricultural wells as part of the annexation policy.

Minister Ghunaim also urged partners to support ongoing efforts to provide immediate humanitarian relief to the Palestinian people in general and in the Gaza Strip in particular. He called for a stop to all causes that led to directing all efforts towards relief work instead of development work, emphasizing the need for a radical solution based on ending the occupation of the lands of the State of Palestine and achieving the legitimate national rights of the Palestinian people, including water rights. Minister Ghunaim also emphasized the importance of obligating Israel to respect human rights principles and implement laws, agreements, and treaties related to this issue, leading to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

During the meeting, a technical presentation highlighted the challenges facing the Gaza Strip due to ongoing aggression, the essential needs, and the necessary role to be played by all partners. Another presentation summarized the water crisis experienced by the governorates of the southern West Bank and the Water Authority of Ramallah and Jerusalem Governorates during the summer. The presentation included information on severely reduced water systems, with a decrease of over 10,000 m3 per day in the Hebron Governorate. It also outlined the Water Authority's requests for partner institutions to pressure Israel to stop the policy of reducing water quantities and to support the Water Authority's efforts in developing projects to enhance the fair distribution of water to citizens in various communities.