Israel's desalination crisis exposes the consequences of destroying Gaza's sewage system, refusing to let it be rebuilt and failing to prepare Israel's own water economy for a worsening climate crisisHaaretz EditorialSeptember 04, 2026For several days, Israel has faced an unprecedented environmental crisis: A sudden, massive algal bloom in the Mediterranean Sea forced the shutdown of five out of the six desalination plants on which the country's water supply relies.Loading...Click the alert icon to follow topics:Gaza aidIsrael water salt water desalinationGazaEnvironment & NatureClimate changeIsrael-Gaza WarCommentsLoading...In the NewsIn the News: Live UpdatesNetanyahu October 7Settlement Sanctions Israel-U.K.EisenkotJD VanceBen-GvirGazaIsrael ElectionHaQuizHaaretz PodcastJohn Malkovich Cancels Israel Performance Over Quotes Falsely Attributed to HimTrump: Iran War Will End 'Immediately' After the U.S. Midterm ElectionDenisovan Culture Revealed in Bat Cave in ChinaU.S. Jewish Umbrella Group Condemns Import Ban on Goods From Israeli SettlementsEarliest Known Drug Use and Its Consequences Discovered in IndonesiaRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMINetanyahu Got an Explicit Warning Before Oct. 7. He Didn't Brief Security ChiefsThink Bibi Is Bad? Meet Sara NetanyahuIMDb Replaces the Name Israel With 'The Occupied Palestinian Territories'Netanyahu Was Warned About October 7. Will Haaretz's Exposé Change Anything?Water Crisis Triggered by Gaza's Ruin: Israel Is Paying the Price of DestructionNetanyahu Says He Will Sue Haaretz Following Oct. 7 ExposéMore Stories to Explore