"Israel violated international law by creating a water crisis in the Gaza Strip", accuses a report released by the Palestinian Union of Agricultural Committees, denouncing the "drastic reduction in water sources in Palestinian territory since Israel has built several small dams to block surface water that used to reach Gaza through river valleys". According to the study, groundwater has become the main water resource for 1.5 million people in Gaza, who consume 86 litres of water per person per day: "short of the 100 litres recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the minimum quantity for basic consumption", says the researcher Alaa Matar, who carried out the study, underlining that "by contrast Israelis consume 330 liters per person per day".

In regard to drinking water, the study also says that numerous water springs are at risk because situated on the coast and are registering constant increases in saline levels. The study also reveals that most water wells contain high percentage of nitrate, up to 400 milligrams per litre in some cases, while WHO recommends 50 milligrams per litre. Furthermore, the study finds that 90% of sewage in Gaza is not purified, and 80% of that sewage is dumped in open areas such as Wadi Gaza, the sea shore and sand dunes. Only 20% of sewage goes into underground reservoirs. Sewage pumping and water treatment plants shut down due to problems at electricity generating stations, resulting in the dumping of 50,000 cubic meters of raw sewage into the sea. Because of its denial of water rights to the Gaza Strip, the study, of which the Palestinian Maan news agency releases ample passages, finds Israel in violation of the Hague convention of 1907, and the Geneva convention of 1949, relative to international law in time of war.