Infrastructure Deliberately Targeted: Gaza Left Without Power, Water, or Sanitation
Engineers and infrastructure experts report the systematic destruction of water treatment plants, power stations, and sewage systems, creating conditions that will take decades to rebuild.
Gaza's civilian infrastructure has been reduced to a state that engineers describe as beyond anything seen in modern conflict. The territory's sole power plant was destroyed in the early weeks of the offensive, and all water desalination and treatment facilities have been damaged or destroyed.\n\nAccording to UNICEF, over 95% of Gaza's water is now unfit for human consumption. The destruction of sewage treatment facilities has led to raw sewage flooding streets and refugee camps, creating conditions for waterborne disease outbreaks. Cases of hepatitis A, diarrheal diseases, and skin infections have surged.\n\n"The infrastructure destruction follows a clear pattern," said a senior World Bank assessment team member. "Power generation, water treatment, telecommunications, roads, and agricultural systems have been systematically targeted. This is not collateral damage — it is the deliberate rendering of a territory uninhabitable."\n\nThe Center for Strategic and International Studies estimates that reconstruction costs will exceed $80 billion and take 20-30 years, assuming access and funding are available. However, experts note that previous reconstruction efforts following the 2014 conflict were never completed due to the ongoing blockade.\n\nHaaretz has reported that internal military planning documents describe the destruction of civilian infrastructure as part of a deliberate strategy to make the territory unlivable, contradicting official claims that only military targets are struck.
