"It is forbidden to attack or destroy objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population, namely, foodstuffs and food-producing areas, crops, livestock, drinking water supplies and irrigation works, whether it is to starve out civilians, to cause them to move away or for any other reason."
Lebanon's water, sanitation, and irrigation sectors have suffered extensive damage amid escalating hostilities in the country's south. According to a World Bank rapid damage and needs assessment, approximately 10% of the total length of irrigation canals was damaged between October 8, 2023, and December 20, 2024. The affected infrastructure includes water pumps, irrigation channels, boreholes, and solar panels used to power irrigation systems.
The hardest-hit areas are in Marjeyoun District, followed by Tyre and Nabatieh. The estimated financial toll stands at around $356 million USD. In a separate assessment, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reported that 40 out of 118 water-related facilities or assets were impacted, with 12 completely destroyed.
The consequences have been severe and far-reaching. The destruction of water infrastructure has triggered a humanitarian crisis, posing serious health risks due to the lack of clean water, exacerbating the hardships of displaced populations, and significantly increasing the economic burden on civilians.
The agricultural sector has been particularly hard-hit. Many of the damaged water sources were critical for crop irrigation. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), negative changes in vegetation cover have affected over 13,500 hectares of agricultural land across Lebanon. The most significant deterioration was recorded in the Baalbek-Hermel governorate, followed by the Bekaa and Nabatieh regions.
Wazzani Pumping Station
On October 6, 2002, Lebanon began pumping water from the Wazzani spring to nearby southern villages. Since then, the Wazzani water pumping station has been considered a strategic target due to its critical importance for large parts of the Marjayoun district and surrounding areas. It has also remained a chronic flashpoint in the long-standing water-related tensions between Lebanon and Israel. The Wazzani Spring feeds the Hasbani River with an estimated 50 to 60 million cubic meters annually, out of a total flow ranging between 150 and 180 million cubic meters. The river runs through Lebanese territory before entering Israel, where it joins the Jordan River and eventually flows into the Sea of Galilee.
On November 10, 2024, social media accounts and media outlets circulated reports alleging that the Israeli army had blown up the Wazzani Spring pumping station, in addition to targeting nearby water storage tanks close to a Lebanese army checkpoint.
One notable post mentioned that the explosion occurred near the Wazzani riverbed, south of the village of Ghajar in the Marjayoun district. This detail helped narrow down the search area and verify the precise location of the attack.
A few hours later, at exactly 4:54 PM local time, the Nabatieh News social media account reported that the Israeli army had detonated the Wazzani spring water pump, along with nearby storage tanks located close to a Lebanese army checkpoint in the Wazzani plain. This was the first clear confirmation of the pumping station's destruction on that day.
Upon reviewing the circulated content, it was revealed that the Israeli army had begun dropping leaflets instructing the evacuation of the village of Wazzani on September 15, 2024. According to one account, the leaflets warned residents to evacuate before 4 p.m. that day and not return until the end of the war. The text of the leaflets instructed residents to move north of the Khiyam area by the specified time, warning that anyone found in the area afterward would be considered a "terrorist element" and subject to lethal force.
Control maps from Liveuamap showed a full Israeli military incursion into the Wazzani area on October 31, 2024. However, a timeline analysis of the map indicates that the incursion began gradually, starting from south of Kfar Kila and moving through the towns of Blida, Meiss El Jabal, and parts of the Hasbaya District, before expanding as bombardments and explosions continued across the region.
Geolocating the Attack Site
To pinpoint the geographical location of the pumping station, visual content related to the explosion was cross-referenced with user-uploaded images on Google Maps. The Akhbar News account documented the aftermath of the strike on the Wazzani Spring pumping station in a video published in February 2025, during which the anchor identified the site by describing surrounding landmarks. She noted that the pump was situated near a Lebanese army outpost known as "Bridge Point," which overlooks the village of Ghajar under Israeli military control.
"Bridge Point" lies only a few meters from a site operated by the Spanish battalion of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Buildings belonging to the UNIFIL unit appeared in the Akhbar News footage and matched a photo and a video uploaded to Google Maps by users. The architectural features and layout provided further confirmation of the location.
The video also showed the destroyed pump directly beneath the UNIFIL post, with remnants of the pump and a collapsed structure visible at the base of the valley near the spring. An older Associated Press video from 2015 about the Wazzani waters was instrumental in verifying visual features of the location and confirming their match with the recent footage.
By compiling all visual evidence and comparing it with satellite imagery, the location of the Wazzani Spring pumping station was accurately identified. It lies south of the UNIFIL unit near the town of Wazzani in the Marjeyoun District, precisely at coordinates: 33.273802, 35.618997.
An analysis of Sentinel-2 satellite imagery from November 5, 15, and 20, 2024, revealed slight changes at the previously identified location of the pumping station on the 15th compared to the 5th. These included subtle alterations in the shape of trees and the color of the soil surrounding the spring. Such changes may suggest the aftermath of an explosion or fire. However, the possibility that they resulted from human activity—such as excavation—cannot be ruled out, particularly in light of the Israeli military presence in the area at the time, or even due to sensor variations in the satellite data.
The image from November 20 showed more distinct indicators, including the disappearance of several trees and significant discoloration of the ground surface around the spring. These findings further reinforce the likelihood of a blast and pump damage, along with possible post-attack excavation work.
What About the Wazzani Station Reservoirs?
A closer examination of the reports surrounding the bombing of the Wazzani pump reveals that this incident is distinct from the repeated attacks on the Wazzani Station reservoirs—formally known as the Wazzani Water Project Station. According to available data, the station struck multiple times during the recent conflict, leading to a complete shutdown of its operations.
Prior to that, the facility had been pumping approximately 12,000 cubic meters of water per day, supplying more than 40 towns across southern Lebanon through a distribution network that transferred water from the eastern to the western parts of the region.
One of the most damaging attacks occurred in February 2024, rendering the station inoperable. Media outlets documented the damage in visual content clearly showing one of the buildings hit by the strike.
An analysis of footage from Al-Mayadeen Lebanon, along with video and images shared by the "Al-Akhbar News" account, confirmed multiple visual matches at the attack site. Water pumps were clearly visible, as was the collapsed roof. The metal doors of the control room were identical in both sources, and the station's water tower also appeared in the footage.
It is worth noting that the agricultural land surrounding the station showed marked changes in vegetation cover. A comparison of satellite imagery from the 2023 and 2024 agricultural seasons—dated November 21, 2023, and November 30, 2024—revealed a clear loss of vegetation and indications of excavation activity in the area.
South Lebanon Water Establishment – Tyre
"In Tyre, an Israeli strike on a water filtration and pumping station on November 18 disrupted water access to around 72,000 people in the city and its surrounding areas,"
On November 18, 2024, the building of the SLWE in Tyre, along with its affiliated water treatment and pumping station, was struck by an Israeli airstrike, rendering the facility inoperable. According to HRW, the attack disrupted water access for around 72,000 residents of Tyre and surrounding areas. The strike also killed two employees of the establishment. Media outlets and social media accounts circulated visual content documenting the incident, which was publicly condemned by Energy and Water Minister, Walid Fayad.
A chronological analysis of the incident, based on posts on X, traced the earliest report of the airstrike to a post published at 12:28 p.m. local time, noting a strike on the city of Tyre.
Just minutes later, at 12:32 p.m., another post clarified the location of the airstrike, stating it occurred near a Lebanese Army barracks in Tyre.
That same minute, the "City of Tyre" Telegram account shared a video filmed from inside an ambulance belonging to the Tyre Civil Defense center as it rushed to the site of the strike. In the video, someone can be heard confirming that the airstrike had hit near the Civil Defense center itself. The ambulances shown in the footage were consistent with those used by the Lebanese Civil Defense.
Three minutes later, LebanonFiles reported that the airstrike had hit the water company building in Tyre, located behind the Civil Defense center. Official statements followed, confirming that the SLWE had been bombed. The facility lies directly across from the Lebanese Army barracks in the city.
Visual evidence from the site shows an overcast sky, indicating that the footage was likely recorded in cloudy or partially cloudy conditions. To verify this, weather archives from WorldWeatherOnline were consulted, showing that Tyre experienced moderate to heavy rain showers on November 18, 2024. Cloud coverage between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM ranged from 60% to 71%, consistent with the footage's atmospheric conditions.
Geolocation and Visual Verification
Keywords cited in early online reports of the airstrike—such as "Tyre Civil Defense Center," "Tyre Barracks," "South Lebanon Water Establishment," and "Samra Café"—helped narrow down the geographical scope of the search. By cross-referencing visible landmarks in the published visual content with Google Maps and satellite imagery, the precise coordinates of the targeted site were identified. Notable identifiers included the facility's front gate, a distinctive blue metallic structure, and several uniquely shaped buildings—all of which contributed to pinpointing the geolocation with confidence.
One of Tyre's most recognizable landmarks appeared in a video and a photo shared by the "City of Tyre" Telegram account. Visual verification confirmed the structure as the "Benoît Barakat" barracks of the Lebanese Army, with the circular stone architecture matching the white building seen in the published footage.
Another residential high-rise in the surrounding area was visible in a video shared by the "City of Tyre" account as well as in footage from Al-Afdal TV. This building corresponded precisely to one captured in a Street View panorama image uploaded to Google Maps, further validating the location of the airstrike.
Based on these cross-referenced visual and geographic indicators, the site of the attack was confirmed as the SLWE building—also known as the "Al-Buss Water Station." It is located near the Tyre Civil Defense Center and the Roman archaeological complex of Al-Buss, adjacent to the Lebanese Army barracks in coastal Tyre. The precise coordinates of the targeted site are: 33.265982, 35.211842.
Sentinel-2 satellite images taken on November 20, 2024, revealed clear visual indicators of damage at the location, in contrast to images from November 15 of the same month, reinforcing the conclusion that the site was struck by an air raid during that timeframe.
The SLWE lies just 127 meters from the second-century Roman Hippodrome, one of the largest racetracks from the Roman world. Archaeological studies suggest the site once served as a principal gateway to ancient Tyre and contains part of the city's Roman necropolis. The remaining ruins of Roman Tyre—designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site—are located approximately 1.4 kilometers from the facility. These historical landmarks are protected under Lebanese Antiquities Law and the Cultural Property Protection Act, underscoring the sensitivity of attacks occurring in their vicinity.
Two days after the strike, restoration work began at the water station. The SLWE, in coordination with UNICEF and the ICRC, initiated debris removal and cleanup operations around the facility. In December 2024, the establishment announced the station had regained operational capacity and resumed supplying water to Tyre and its surrounding areas. The ICRC reported that it installed a transfer station to pump water directly from the source to the distribution point as an emergency measure to meet the needs of more than 100,000 people who had lost access to water due to the damage inflicted by the attack.
The Legal Perspective on the Attacks
The systematic nature of the attacks on Lebanon's water infrastructure—as evidenced by the destruction of the Al-Buss and Wazzani stations, among other facilities—raises serious concerns regarding compliance with the core principles of international humanitarian law (IHL). If these installations primarily served the civilian population and did not make an effective contribution to military operations, their deliberate targeting would constitute a violation of the principle of distinction.
Even if a potential military advantage is assumed, the extensive harm caused to civilians—manifested in water outages and their severe health and livelihood consequences, as seen in the Al-Buss and Wazzani cases—calls into question whether the principle of proportionality was upheld.
Furthermore, the repetition of such incidents may indicate a failure to take sufficient precautions to avoid harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure—another potential breach of legal obligations under international law.
The widespread destruction of water infrastructure also represents a major setback to development in Lebanon, particularly in the southern regions where agriculture is a primary livelihood. The loss of irrigation water sources jeopardizes not only food security but also long-term economic stability livelihoods, exacerbates displacement, and compounds developmental challenges, obstructing efforts toward economic recovery.