Journalist shot by Israeli forces taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital
Salma al-Qadoumi has been taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah for medical treatment after Israeli forces shot her in the back in Khan Younis, according to the Anadolu Agency.
Witnesses told Anadolu that Israeli soldiers fired directly at al-Qadoumi and fellow journalists, striking her in the back.
The agency added that heavy gunfire and shelling was heard as Israeli military vehicles advanced towards the Hamad residential complex in Khan Younis.
Salma al-Qadoumi is one of many Palestinian journalists targeted by Israeli forces since October
Israel’s evacuation orders for Deir el-Balah limiting access to clean water
Diab al-Jaro, the head of the Deir el-Balah municipality, said Israel’s latest evacuation orders will cut off access to more than half of the water tanks and water wells in the central area.
“Israeli army orders have reduced the humanitarian zone from 30 kilometres [18 miles] to less than 20 kilometres [12 miles],” al-Jaro said.
“Crowding and cramming civilians in a narrow strip under hot temperatures will cause an outbreak of diseases. In addition, people will lose access to two out of the only three major water tanks and 10 of the 19 major water wells which serve more than 60 percent in the area. All these will no longer be accessible by residents,” he said.
Water crisis in Khan Younis worsens as Israeli forces destroy wells, tanks, pumps
Here in southern Gaza, we’ve been documenting the damage to underground water wells, tanks and pipe networks as a result of Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza, as it nears its 11th month.
We spoke to engineer Salam Shurab about the situation in Khan Younis. He told us that the water share per capita has fallen sharply and that on the best of days, it does not go beyond seven to eight litres [about 2 gallons] of water per person.
He also told us that four out of the five major tanks in the city have been destroyed.
The destruction does not stop with these wells and tanks, however. It extends to water distribution networks all across the city. The municipality is facing great difficulty in getting them working again. Pumping water to the city’s residents is now close to impossible.
This means people in Gaza are struggling to get their basic water needs met.
Even those Palestinians in Gaza who have not been killed in this war are barely surviving. On top of the missiles, bombs and bullets, Israel has created countless other causes of death in every part of the Gaza Strip. Top among them – the destruction of infrastructure and the dangerous health hazards they create.
Palestinians in Khan Younis ‘struggling beyond imagination’ for clean water
Al Jazeera’s Hani al-Shaer spoke to displaced Palestinians waiting for water at a queue in the southern city.
One man appealed for international intervention. “We stand in long queues for hours, hoping to get some clean water. My little girl and I are waiting in these long lines under the heat of the sun. We appeal to the whole world to help us at least get some clean water,” he said.
Another man said it was a struggle to find enough for his family. “We are really struggling beyond imagination to find some clean water. We walk long distances to find little, but it’s not sufficient for my family,” he said.
