Thursday, November 22, 2012

EWASH condemns killing of Gaza water vendor

 Maan News Agency

Published today 21:47
BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A coalition of humanitarian agencies on Wednesday condemned Israel's killing of a water vendor as he delivered water in the northern Gaza Strip.

Suhail Hammad and his 10-year-old son were hit by an Israeli airstrike while driving a water distribution truck in northern Gaza on Sunday. Both were killed instantly.

After the incident, other water vendors stopped operating fearing they would be targeted, causing shortages in drinking water.

The Emergency Water and Sanitation/Hygiene group condemned the attack and called on Israel to take all precautions to protect civilians and their infrastructure.

During Israel's 8-day war on Gaza, which ended with a ceasefire Wednesday, the water networks in Khan Younis and Rafah were damaged and maintenance staff were unable to access the area for repairs.

Israeli airstrikes also destroyed a water reservoir under construction which was intended to serve 150,000 people.

Israel's blockade of Gaza gas prevented the rehabilitation of Gaza's sole source of fresh water, the coastal aquifer, which the UN says may become unusable by 2016.

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