Ottawa calls for investigation into Israel’s destruction of Gaza water wells

The Canadian government is still calling for an investigation into Israel’s destruction of a major water facility in the Gaza Strip nearly a month ago, with Ottawa known for its support for the Palestinians.

The office of International Development Secretary Ahmed Hussen said the incident exacerbated a “catastrophic” humanitarian situation.

“Canada has contacted the Israeli government to obtain more information about this incident and to call for an investigation,” spokeswoman Olivia Barton said.

The Israeli military said it was investigating an incident last month in which Israeli soldiers were captured on video planting explosives and destroying a water treatment facility in the city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have taken refuge.

The facility is located in the Tell Sultan district, which the Palestinian Mission to Ottawa said is popularly known as Canada due to Canada’s decades of support for various projects in the region.

The facility is often referred to as the Canadian Well, but in recent years it has been operated with funding from the United Nations and Japan.

Global Affairs Canada said it could not confirm claims that the well was built with federal funding. “The well is located in Tell Sultan, and Canada has played an important role in improving the quality of life in the local community,” Patton wrote.

The Palestinian delegation said the facility provided clean water to about 100,000 people at a time when polio was spreading in Gaza.

The International Development Research Centre, a Crown corporation with decades of experience working overseas, did not immediately find evidence it would fund the project.

Barton reiterated Canada’s call for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas so that more aid can be provided to the Palestinians.

“This incident further stresses the already poor water infrastructure and exacerbates civilian access to clean water,” she wrote. “The threat of famine and widespread disease outbreaks is growing, compounded by the destruction of medical, humanitarian and civilian infrastructure, such as this well.”

Last month, a municipal official in Khan Yunis told Reuters that Israeli forces destroyed 30 water wells in the city and Rafah in the last two weeks of July.

The Israeli military has not explained how destroying the water supply would help it achieve its goal of driving Hamas out of the Gaza Strip.

“The IDF has been operating in the Tell Sultan area for several weeks with the goal of destroying terrorist infrastructure and neutralizing terrorists while mitigating damage to civilian infrastructure,” a spokesperson wrote in response to questions.

“The circumstances of this case are under review.”

Israel’s embassy in Ottawa insisted the country “has always fulfilled its obligations” under international law.

“Any violation of these standards will be thoroughly investigated and dealt with by law enforcement and judicial authorities,” the embassy wrote.

The United Nations says no part of the Gaza Strip is safe anymore since Israel began bombing Palestinian territory last fall after Hamas launched attacks in Israel. Canada lists Hamas as a terrorist organization.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Aug. 15, 2024.