Israel approves construction of new water line by UAE from Egypt to southern Gaza humanitarian zone

The United Arab Emirates is in the process of installing a new water line from a desalination plant in Egypt to the Mawasi humanitarian zone near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Hebrew media reported on Sunday morning.

According to reports, residents of Gaza recently observed trucks carrying pipes entering the Strip, prompting speculation about their purpose. On Sunday, it was announced that the pipes are part of a United Arab Emirates–backed project to construct an additional water pipeline into Gaza.

The UAE is building a water pipeline from Egypt into Gaza to serve 600,000 Palestinians.

The project has been approved by Israel. pic.twitter.com/EmnUZZVOPE

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The water line is being built with the Israeli government's approval, despite opposition from coalition members. The Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) authorized the entry of equipment for the project, which is set to begin in the coming days.

COGAT released the following statement on Sunday afternoon: “Several weeks ago, in accordance with the directive of the political echelon, the UAE initiative to construct a water pipeline from the desalination facility in Egypt to the Al-Mawasi area along the coastline was approved.”

“The pipeline is intended to serve approximately 600,000 residents in the area and will operate independently of Israel’s water pipelines,” the statement read.

COGAT also stated that representatives of the UAE began transferring equipment for the project from Egypt to the security inspection point at the Kerem Shalom crossing earlier on Sunday. The project is expected to take several weeks to complete.

The move comes amid mounting international criticism of Israel over the issue of humanitarian aid. The government has ordered the IDF to take a series of steps designed to reduce that pressure, according to statements by Energy Minister Eli Cohen.

In an interview with public broadcaster Kan’s Reshet Bet radio, Cohen said that “the Foreign Ministry held meetings with their counterparts in Europe, and in order to prevent European sanctions on Israel, it was decided to advance these steps.”

A group of EU foreign ministers had previously decided against taking punitive measures against Israel, after Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar had promised Israel would take steps to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

Early Sunday morning, humanitarian aid packages were air-dropped by the Israel Air Force, while humanitarian pauses were announced in several population centers in Gaza. These measures are part of Israel’s broader effort to avert more drastic steps by European countries.