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Comment by Prickle | Hacker News Reader

> That's not true. There are over 10,000 wells in Gaza. Hamas controls who is allowed to dig wells in Gaza [0] – Israel lacks effective control over the territory of Gaza so has no ability to stop anyone from digging a well there.

False. All water in the Gaza strip, is explicitly controlled by the Israeli state. Specifically, this stems from the fact that the construction of wells requires a permit from Israel. More specifically, anything constructed without a specific, israeli approved permit, is demolished. This applies to both the WestBank and Gaza. [0][1] [0]https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-demolishes-...

[1]https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/...

> true that Israel has a negative impact on Gaza's fishing industry – through limiting how far out to sea Gazans are permitted to fish,

Apparently I mistook the no-fishing zone along the coast as a complete ban. That is definitely my mistake.

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> False. All water in the Gaza strip, is explicitly controlled by the Israeli state. Specifically, this stems from the fact that the construction of wells requires a permit from Israel.

In practice, no Israeli permits are needed to construct a well in Gaza. Nobody asks Israel for one and Israel doesn’t give anyone one.

Hamas says you need a permit from them to build a well in the Gaza Strip. Since they exercise de facto on-the-ground military control over the populated territory of Gaza, they are much better placed to enforce their laws on the topic than Israel is.

> More specifically, anything constructed without a specific, israeli approved permit, is demolished. This applies to both the WestBank and Gaza.

De facto, it doesn’t apply in Gaza. People dig wells in Gaza all the time and build things all the time. Nobody ever asks Israel for a permit. They may be forced however to get a permit from the Hamas-controlled Gaza government. If you don’t get the permit from Hamas, armed Hamas men may come knocking on your door. Whereas, Israeli troops were never going to invade Gaza over a mere well.

As evidence it applies in Gaza, you are citing an Israeli air strike on Gaza’s water supply infrastructure. I’ve never heard Israel attempt to justify such attacks as enforcing its laws on wells. Rather, it seems clear the attack was justified as a reprisal for a Hamas attack on Israel. Whatever the rights or wrongs of that reprisal, it has nothing to do with water policy in Gaza during those periods when the Gaza Strip and Israel have been (relatively speaking) at peace.

> As evidence it applies in Gaza, you are citing an Israeli air strike on Gaza’s water supply infrastructure. I’ve never heard Israel attempt to justify such attacks as enforcing its laws on wells. Rather, it seems clear the attack was justified as a reprisal for a Hamas attack on Israel. Whatever the rights or wrongs of that reprisal, it has nothing to do with water policy in Gaza during those periods when the Gaza Strip and Israel have been (relatively speaking) at peace.

This doesn't change the simple fact that Israel sites the lack of a building permit as an excuse to destroy anything built in Gaza. (Or the WestBank)

There are far more instances of this, including some where they just pour concrete into the wells. Unfortunately, English speaking outlets don't really report on these incidents. So the only english "sources" that can be found are heavily slanted Muslim propaganda articles.

The other sources are actually reports from the Knesset, which I also can't read without a translator. (Which is why I didn't link either) Specifically, the source I am referencing here are IWA (Israel Water Authority) reports on illegal water well drilling. They release a report every year. They tend to get referenced by NGOs in articles relating to Gaza or the West Bank.

In my opinion, what matters here is enforcement. Israel does enforce their rights on water sources. Even water sources inside of Gaza/WestBank. The lack of targeted strikes in Gaza doesn't mean they don't claim control over all water sources in the territories. (IE: China and the South China Sea debacle)

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