Most Gazans don’t have a regular water supply because of the shortage of diesel used for pumping water.

Now Israel has rejected an application for import of a French-made water purification system into Gaza despite a drinking water crisis since the 3 week war last month.

The French Foreign Ministry said that Tel Aviv had blocked the entry of the desperately needed water purification plant and had forced its repatriation. No reason appears to have been given for the Israeli decision.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has warned that Israel’s 23-day January war on Gaza has pushed its sewage system to the brink of collapse, with increased risk of groundwater contamination in Gaza.

Warning of serious public health risks, the World Bank has urged Israel to permit fuel into Gaza in order to operate about 170 water and sewage pumps. The bank also requested Israel to permit the maintenance of the sewage lake in northern Gaza lest it overflow and overwelm the 1.5 million Palestinians living in Gaza.

“The most dangerous thing is the contamination of drinking water with sewage. We need an international organization like the World Health Organization to investigate the matter,” said Monther Shoblak, head of (CMWU) Gaza Coastal Municipalities Water Utility.

Earlier today, the Israeli navy attacked and captured a freight ship carrying more than 60 tonnes of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

“Al-Ikhwa” (The Brotherhood) ship said the Israeli navy first of all opened fire, then 5 soldiers boarded the ship, threatening and beating the passengers.

Salam Khoder, Al Jazeera’s correspondent said: “They are pointing guns against us - they are kicking us and beating us. They are threatening our lives.”

The Israelis are said to have destroyed the ship’s communication equipment and confiscated passengers’ and crew’s telephones.

The Israeli military took the Lebanese vessel, which had earlier sailed from Cyprus, to Ashdod (Israel), where authorities were apparently “examining its cargo”. However, according to the “Free Gaza Movement” who had coordinated the humanitarian shipment, the ship and her cargo had been examined by Cyprus customs before leaving Larnaca yesterday.

The Israeli military claims it had warned the ship on Wednesday night against entering Gaza’s coastal waters, which, like Gaza’s air-space and land borders, are closely controlled by Israel.

Maan Bashour, an aid co-ordinator for the group “End the Blockade of Gaza”, said that the vessel was carrying medical equipment, food supplies and books, toys and milk for small children.

Lebanon’s president, Foud Siniora, has condemned the attack on Al-Ikhwa. He said Israel has been allowed to violate international law for too long and called for pressure to be put on it. Are you listening in Washington?!

Earlier the “Free Gaza Movement” reported that on Wednesday evening, 4th February at 8 pm (CET) the ship was in international waters, some distance from Gaza waters. Exact position of the ship:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=32.8707,33.7776&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

“Free Gaza Movement” said the ship: “has been approached by two Israeli gunboats, which are hovering around, and there are two Israeli helicopters overhead. The Israeli’s told the captain of TALI that he cannot go to Gaza and according to T., the Israelis told him they will sink the boat if it proceeds. He refused to turn around and told them he is responsible for his boat and he is going to Gaza.”

One of the Free Gaza Movement volunteers was on this boat, and Free Gaza organizers helped in Cyprus to get the boat inspected, then sent on to Gaza. Once again, Israel, the bully, gets away with piracy - hijacking in international waters. Free Gaza Movement said: “We are checking the status of the units of plasma loaded on board, because, if the stories are accurate that the Israeli Navy thugs turned off the
generators, this badly-needed plasma will be destroyed very quickly.