UNICEF Reports Israel Vetoed $3 Million Gaza Water Fix
The agency warns the Sheikh Radwan basin faces overflow after COGAT rejected a one-year repair plan, while seven Palestinians died in Tuesday strikes.
By Aiko Petrov ·
The Israeli military rejected a three million dollar proposal to repair a critical water basin in Gaza City, according to the United Nations Children's Fund.
UNICEF spokesperson James Elder stated that the agency had spent a year coordinating the project with Israeli authorities and the Board of Peace. He said COGAT, the Israeli military body overseeing humanitarian affairs in Gaza, turned down the plan in recent days. COGAT did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding the decision.
Elder explained that the Sheikh Radwan stormwater basin is currently contaminated with sewage. He warned that heavy rainfall could cause the facility to overflow, sending toxic water into streets and displaced families' tents. The agency argued that the repair was necessary to prevent flooding and the spread of disease among children.
Local authorities noted that Israeli forces have destroyed water infrastructure and pumping vehicles across the strip. Elder said the rejection leaves the basin vulnerable to becoming another cause of preventable child death in the territory.
Separately, local emergency services reported that seven people were killed by Israeli strikes in Gaza on Tuesday. The Hamas-run Civil Defense agency identified the victims, including a 13-year-old boy and his father, who died in a strike on the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City. Three others died in an attack on a metal workshop in the Sabra neighborhood, while a sixth person was killed in a tent sheltering displaced residents.
A seventh person died from Israeli fire near Khan Yunis in the southern part of the territory. Hospitals receiving the bodies confirmed the casualty counts. The Israeli military said it targeted terror operatives in several areas but provided no further details.
Both Israel and Hamas have accused each other of violating the ceasefire that took effect on October 10, 2025, after a two-year war began with the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023. Hamas figures typically count all casualties without distinguishing between civilians and combatants.
On the same day, seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton arrived at the Rafah border crossing in Egypt to visit humanitarian aid hubs. He toured logistics warehouses operated by the Egyptian Red Crescent and spoke with aid workers. Khaled Megawer, the governor of North Sinai, said the visit was intended to show Hamilton Egypt's efforts to deliver aid to Gaza. The trip followed Hamilton's 400th race start at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix on Sunday, a milestone shared only with Fernando Alonso.
