Illustrative. Palestinians gather next to donkey-drawn carts loaded with water tanks for sale, as drinking water and fuel become increasingly scarce, in Nuseirat in Gaza Strip, amid ongoing battles between Israel and Hamas. Photo by Naaman Omar apaimages Nuseirat Gaza Strip Palestinian Territory

i24 News – The United Arab Emirates has initiated the construction of a critical water pipeline linking an Egyptian desalination plant to the coastal area of Al-Mawasi in southern Gaza.

The project, approved by Israel’s defense establishment and carried out with logistical coordination across borders, marks a significant humanitarian effort to alleviate the water crisis affecting nearly 600,000 Palestinians in the war-torn enclave.

The pipeline, which will operate independently of existing Israeli water infrastructure, is designed to deliver potable water directly from Egypt into Gaza.

It is being developed under the supervision of the Israeli military’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and was greenlit by the Israeli political echelon as a non-political, humanitarian measure.

On Sunday, the first batch of construction materials, delivered by Emirati representatives, crossed the Kerem Shalom border crossing following stringent security inspections by Israel’s Border Authority and Ministry of Defense.

Construction is expected to begin in the coming days and will span several weeks.

“This is a purely humanitarian measure, taken within the framework of cabinet decisions,” said Israeli officials, emphasizing that the project does not signal a move toward rebuilding Gaza or any shift in political posture. “The connection of the pipeline does not constitute a step towards the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip,” they added, aiming to quash speculation of normalization or broader reconciliation.

The move comes amid a temporary humanitarian truce announced by Israel over the weekend. In parallel, Israeli authorities authorized workers from the Israel Electric Corporation to reconnect a key power line from the Ashkelon power station to Deir al-Balah. This line supports the Egyptian desalination plant already contributing to Gaza’s water supply.

The UAE, intensifying its humanitarian engagement in Gaza, has also begun airdropping aid parcels into the territory.