Half of Gaza water sites damaged or destroyed, BBC satellite data reveals

Hundreds of Gaza's water and sanitation facilities have been damaged or destroyed since Israel began military action against Hamas, satellite analysis by BBC Verify has found.

Damage to a major supplies depot has also severely disrupted repairs.

The lack of clean water and flows of untreated sewage pose a serious threat to health, say aid agencies.

The Israel Defense Forces told the BBC that Hamas cynically exploits civilian infrastructure for terror purposes.

The destruction comes despite Israel's duty to protect critical infrastructure under the rules of war, unless there is evidence sites are being used for military reasons, say human rights lawyers.

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More than 1,000 Stage Walkout at Harvard Commencement Ceremony

More than 1,000 people walked out of Harvard’s 373rd Commencement while chanting “Let them walk,” in reference to the 13 Harvard College seniors who were denied degrees after their participation in the pro-Palestine encampment in Harvard Yard.

As interim Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 began to confer degrees upon the 9,262 graduates, beginning with students receiving degree of Doctor of Philosophy from the FAS, hundreds of students rose from their seats and began to walk out, protesting the University’s response to the war in Gaza and sanctions on students who participated in the encampment.

As the protesters exited Harvard Yard, several Palestinian flags flew toward the back of the ceremony.

David C. Parkes, Dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, continued to speak, raising his voice slightly over the chants of the protesters.

The administrators continue the conferral as usual, not acknowledging the chants, which continued for the duration of the ceremony.

Read the entire article from The Harvard Crimson.

Pro-Palestine Harvard graduates lead a walkout of the University's commencement ceremonies. By Jina H. Choe

A female student holds up a graduation cap with the message "End the Occupation" during Harvard's Commencement ceremonies Thursday. By Addison Y. Liu

A doxxing truck circles Harvard Yard on Commencement morning. Police officers outside Harvard Yard warned the truck drivers that the truck cannot park outside Johnston Gate. By Frank S. Zhou

THE ABOVE PHOTOS ARE FROM THE CRIMSON ARTICLE.

Standout at Harvard Commencement

Thursday, May 23

Friends,

The Alliance and before it, the Boston Coalition for Palestinian Rights, organized an annual standout at Harvard’s commencement. This year, we teamed up with Mass Peace Action; Jewish Voice for Peace; Dorchester People for Peace; Southeast Mass. Coalition for a Free Palestine: Falmouth for a Ceasefire; Medford for Palestine; Peace and Common Security, Watertown Citizens to organize over 175 people to attend a silent vigil. The participants showed up at 7:45 am to leaflet people who come from all over the world to attend commencement.

Here is part of what our leaflet said:

We Must Take a Stand Against Genocide!

We commend the students at Harvard University and across the country who took at moral stand against Israel’s genocidal war the Gaza Strip. They put their futures on the line by demanding an end to slaughter inflicted with US weapon, paid for with US tax dollars for Israel amount to $18 billion this year. The students risked suspension and arrest for denouncing the obliteration of a territory only half the said of Cape Cod with the equivalent of three Hiroshima bombs.

PHOTOS BY C. HOFFMAN

Half of Gaza water sites damaged or destroyed, BBC satellite data reveals

What we found

Of the 603 water facilities we analysed, 53% appeared to have been damaged or destroyed since 7 October.

A further 43 facilities were in areas that showed some damage or where solar panels had been removed, but we were unable to determine whether the water facility itself had been damaged so these were not included in our analysis.

The latest available satellite images were acquired in March and April, and our analysis has been ongoing since April.

The majority of sites identified as destroyed or damaged are in northern Gaza or in the area around the southern city of Khan Younis.

At one wastewater facility in Bureij, in the centre of the Strip, solar panels that power the plant had been obliterated and sewage treatment tanks appeared to have algae growing on the surface.

Read the article and see the photos.