Israel is facing weeks of water shortages after an exceptional algae bloom disrupted much of its desalination capacity, according to a Guardian report published Thursday.

Five of the country’s six main desalination plants were shut for days after the bloom clogged their filters. Scientists and environmental groups said the bloom was linked to untreated sewage discharged from Gaza after the destruction of wastewater infrastructure.

The crisis is therefore not only a story about Israel’s water system. It is also a measure of how infrastructure damage in Gaza is spreading environmental and public-health risks beyond the territory’s borders.

The Guardian reported that all five of Gaza’s wastewater treatment plants were out of service, with an estimated 45,000 cubic metres of untreated sewage flowing into the Mediterranean each day and a further 15,000 cubic metres entering groundwater from soakaway pits. OCHA has separately reported that Gaza’s wastewater and pumping systems remain severely damaged.

Israeli authorities have urged people to use water judiciously, while farmers in the south have been told to halt irrigation. For Gaza’s civilians, the underlying crisis is more severe: damaged networks, contaminated groundwater and reliance on water trucks leave families choosing between drinking, washing and basic sanitation.

The immediate question is whether the desalination system can be restored before shortages deepen. The larger one is whether any water policy can work while the war’s damaged sanitation infrastructure remains unrepaired.