Statement by President Mahmoud Abbas on World Water Day

On the occasion of World Water Day, President Mahmoud Abbas said today that this year's World Water Day comes amidst continued acts of Israeli genocide against the Palestinian population, which have been occurring for over a year and a half, resulting in the killing of thousands of Palestinians, including children, women, and the elderly

In a keynote address, President Abbas pointed out that Israel’s violations have gone beyond direct violence, noting that Israel has utilized another form of weapon to further the suffering of the Palestinian people: the denial of basic services, particularly water. He stressed that the Israeli occupation forces have systematically stopped the provision of essential services, including water, and have blocked humanitarian aid from reaching those in need.  

The president also emphasized that the Israeli occupation’s use of water as a tool of torture, displacement, and coercion is not a new tactic but rather part of a longstanding, systematic policy that has been in place for decades. He underscored the fact that Israel continues to control all surface and groundwater resources, aiming to control Palestinian lives, restrict their development, and forcibly displace them in the context of illegal settlement expansion.  

President Abbas urged the international community to address the dire situation faced by Palestinian children, particularly those in Gaza. He reminded the world of the Palestinian children who are deprived of the basic necessity of water, children who must stand in long lines for hours just to receive a liter of water, and those who are forced to drink contaminated water.

He called attention to the devastating reality that many Palestinian children are dying from dehydration and lack of access to food and medicine. These children, he stressed, are being denied the right to live safely and with dignity, just like children everywhere else in the world.