Israel has banned the entry of toilet seats and portable toilets into Gaza, classifying them as "dual-use" military items, as it does with sleeping bags, tarps, and wheelchairs. More than nine in ten Palestinians in Gaza have been displaced, most living in tents, after Israel destroyed over 90 percent of the territory's homes and infrastructure.
The result: 87 percent of Gaza's households have no proper access to a toilet. Families dig holes in the sand behind a curtain. Sewage seeps into the soil beneath the tents, contaminating the ground and turning entire displacement camps into health hazards, spreading disease, skin infections, and contaminating water sources.
A used, damaged toilet seat now sells for up to $700 in Gaza, when one can even be found. Israel has a ceasefire obligation to allow trade and basic goods into Gaza. It is using "dual use" as an excuse to deny two million displaced people a toilet seat.
Mike