Revealing the damage to Gaza’s water supply

Hello. Clean water has always been a limited resource in Gaza, but it has become harder to find, after seven months of aerial bombing and on-the-ground fighting caused major damage to critical infrastructure. Analysis from BBC Verify shows the extent of the loss, and the risks for public health. After Russia marked Victory Day - its remembrance of Nazi Germany's defeat - Steve Rosenberg reflects on the country's changing perspective on war and peace. Finally, Peter MacJob and Alex Last visit a town in Nigeria that boasts a high rate of twin births.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Half of water sites damaged or destroyed

Of the 603 water facilities analysed, 53% appeared to have been damaged or destroyed since 7 October. Credit: BBC

According to a new analysis by BBC Verify, half of Gaza's water and sanitation facilities have been damaged or destroyed since Israel began its military retaliation against Hamas. Under international law, countries have a duty to protect critical infrastructure, unless there is evidence sites are being used for military purposes. The Israeli military says Hamas uses civilian infrastructure for its activities.

What was the scope of the investigation?

We analysed more than 600 water and sanitation facilities, using a list of locations provided by Gaza's Coastal Municipalities Water Utility.

How was the analysis carried out?

We sought advice from experts at the UN and Human Rights Watch on the best approach. For each site, we sourced the most recent high resolution satellite imagery and compared each shot with an image taken prior to 7 October, when Hamas attacked southern Israel. We then marked a facility as destroyed or damaged if the closest structure to the given co-ordinates appeared to be reduced to rubble, partially collapsed, or showed other signs of damage. Without knowing the precise outline of each facility, we cannot say whether it has been partly damaged or completely destroyed.

What was the timeframe of the analysis?

The latest available satellite images were acquired in March and April, and our analysis has been ongoing since April.

THE BIG PICTURE

The texts that brought down a crime group

Criminals used the EncroChat software thinking their messages were completely secure and their identities secret. Credit: BBC

BBC Panorama has obtained 10,000 messages exchanged by two secretive brothers who headed a gang called the Huyton Firm, in north-west England. The messages give a unique insight into the inner workings of an organised crime group, from fixing drugs deals to ordering violent attacks and murders.

And finally... in Nigeria

The small rural town of Igbo-Ora appears to have a higher-than-usual number of twins. Peter MacJob and Alex Last visited the self-proclaimed capital of twins to learn more about the local beliefs and the ongoing research into the multiple births.