The non-governmental organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) accuses the Israeli authorities in a report published today, Thursday, of engaging in “deeds genocide» as “intentionally deprive» from the Palestinian civiliansn “access to drinking water” since the outbreak of war between the Israeli armed forces and Hamas, which is now in its 440th day.

“The Israeli authorities deliberately imposed living conditions calculated to cause the destruction of part of its population Gazadeliberately denying Palestinian civilians in the enclave adequate access to water”the organization says in a press release accompanying the investigation.

“In doing so, the Israeli authorities are responsible for the crime against humanity of extermination, and for acts of genocide,” continues HRW.

Since the war began on October 7, 2023, triggered by an unprecedented incursion by the military wing of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas into southern areas of Israeli territory, Israel has been repeatedly accused of committing genocide in Gaza Strip by various NGOs, and even before international justice by various countries, at the initiative of South Africa.

The Israeli authorities always categorically and indignantly reject this accusation. On December 5, the Israeli government flagged an Amnesty International report “completely fabricated, completely unreliable and based on lies”insisting that the actions of the Israeli armed forces in the Gaza Strip are directed against legitimate military targets, members or facilities of organizations it characterizes “terrorist”and that it does not intentionally seek civilian deaths.

In its report, HRW insists that the Israeli authorities they restricted Gazans’ access to drinking water by intention and emphasizes that this shows his will to “exterminate” them.

The NGO blames Israel for the commission “acts of genocide» and not of genocide, as this last charge would require proving the will to do so.

“The behavior shown in this report, as well as statements, suggest that some Israeli officials wanted the Palestinians in Gaza to be exterminated, which may indicate that will,” but it is noted in the text.

During a press conference, Lama Faki, head of HRW’s Middle East and North Africa directorate, said that despite the absence “written plan”, or “clearly stated» genocidal intent, the intent to commit genocide can be demonstrated by observing systematic acts or actions that are consistent and lead to the conclusion that there is a “specific intent to deliberately destroy” an ethnic group.

Israel ratified the Convention on the Prevention and Suppression of the Crime of Genocide in 1951.

During its nearly year-long investigation, HRW points out that it repeatedly contacted the Israeli military asking for an explanation of the specific events recorded in its report, but never received a response.

HRW reminds, however, that Yoav Galand, the former Israeli Defense Minister, ordered on October 9, 2023 the imposition of an “absolute siege” on the Palestinian enclave.

“There will be no electricity, no food, no water, no fuel”he said the day after the Hamas attack.

The Palestinian Islamist movement’s raid on southern Israel killed 1,208 people on the Israeli side, the majority of them civilians killed on the same day on October 7, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli data, which includes hostages who died in captivity or they were already dead when they were taken to the Palestinian pouch.

Israel’s large-scale retaliatory military operations in the Gaza Strip have claimed lives at least 45,000 Palestiniansthe majority of them civilians, according to data from the Health Ministry of the Hamas government in the enclave, classified as reliable by the UN.

Israel’s reaction: “Shameless lies”

Israel’s Foreign Ministry condemned, characterizing the “full of shameless lies“, the report.

This report “she’s full of shameless lies”to an excessive degree “even for HRW, whose bar is already low”Israeli diplomacy said in a statement, accusing Human Rights Watch of engaging in “anti-Israeli propaganda”.