Displaced in Gaza, struggling to find safe, discreet and sanitary toilets

Al Jazeera · 🇶🇦 public Qatar · Aug 23, 2026 · 1015 words · By Eman Abu Zayed

Humanitarian Crisis Israeli Blockade Public Health

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What to know about Humanitarian Crisis

Israel’s war on Gaza forces Palestinians to rely on ‘Stone Age’ toilets Deir Al-Balah, Gaza – Eman Mahmoud Shamia has been uprooted several times since Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023, before finally settling into a new home – a tent in a…

Claims checked 8

Techniques found 3

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

It provides rudimentary shelter for 33-year-old Eman, her husband, Yahya Shamia, 50, and their five children, all under 11, but it lacks many of the basic amenities her old home provided.

Common ground

Recommended Stories list of 4 items - list 1 of 4Israeli army and settlers injure several Palestinians across West Bank - list 2 of 4Israeli forces kill Palestinian boy in West Bank as EU condemns E1 plan - list 3 of 4Where water conflicts pose the biggest…

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Appeal to Pity, Exaggeration / Hyperbole: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Humanitarian Crisis story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that communal toilets are the only option for most in Gaza, with a single toilet being used by 20 or 25 people?
How does this story connect Humanitarian Crisis with Israeli Blockade over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2026/8/23/israels-war-on-gaza-forces-palestin…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 90% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Appeal to Pity 80% confidence

Evoking sympathy to win support rather than using logical arguments.

Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to pity helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Exaggeration / Hyperbole 70% confidence

Overstating facts or claims to create a stronger emotional response.

Why it matters: Recognizing exaggeration / hyperbole helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 8 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 3

info Single Source 3

check_circle Corroborated 2

verified

Claim 1: “communal toilets are the only option for most in Gaza, with a single toilet being used by 20 or 25 people”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence discusses AI warfare, general aid reliance, and general war facts, but contains no specific information regarding the number of people sharing communal toilets.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Gaza genocide is the ongoing, intentional, and systematic destruction of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip carried out by Israel during the Gaza war. It encompasses mass killings, the targe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_genocide

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Gaza war is an armed conflict in the Gaza Strip and Israel, fought as part of the unresolved Israeli–Palestinian and Gaza–Israel conflicts. The war began on 7 October 2023, when Palestinian milita…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_war

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Israeli Air Force has conducted numerous concerted aerial bombardment campaigns on the Gaza Strip during the Gaza war. Since the de jure enactment of a ceasefire in October 2025, strikes have cont…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_bombing_of_the_Gaza_St…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “over 90 percent of homes damaged or destroyed during the war”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent sources (TRT World and other news reports citing IOM/OCHA/UN data) confirm that more than 90% of homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The population of the Gaza Strip underwent a famine as a result of an Israeli blockade during the Gaza war between 22 August 2025 and 19 December 2025. The prevention of basic essentials and humanitar…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_Strip_famine

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+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

Claim 3: “the price of sanitation supplies shoot up with a used toilet seat now costing between 1,500 ($503) and 2,000 shekels ($671)”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of irrelevant search results about a city in France (Brest), Brittany, and used cars. No evidence regarding the price of toilet seats in Gaza was found.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gaza most commonly refers to: Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea Gaza City, a city in the Gaza Strip Gaza may also refer to:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 4: “more than nine in ten Palestinians in Gaza displaced”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web sources (including references to UN data and Medical Aid for Palestinians) confirm that over 90% of the population in Gaza has been displaced.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — As of 28 August 2026, at least 77,036 people (74,997+ Palestinians and 2,039+ Israelis) have been reported killed in the Gaza war according to the Gaza Health Ministry (GHM) and Israeli Ministry of Fo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casualties_of_the_Gaza_war

menu_book

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 5: “Around 60% were exposed to wastewater or human waste within 10 metres of where they lived”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence discusses general wastewater issues globally and in Southeast Asia, but does not mention the specific 60% figure for Gaza residents.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — More people = more human wastewater. The majority of human wastewater is discharged into the ocean around the world in a variety of treated and untreated states from sewage, septic, and direct input s…
https://www.futurity.org/human-wastewater-coastal-ecosystems…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This review was guided by the question “What are the human health risks of wastewater, human. excreta, and animal excreta management practices in Southeast Asia? The acronym PICO was used to.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/283237876_Evidence_…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Is Human or Not a human or AI game or a chat app? It's a game first. The chat exists only to test whether you can tell a human from a bot.Short conversations, limited context, and typing habits can ma…
https://humanornot.so/

verified

Claim 6: “Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in October 2023”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia and multiple web sources explicitly state that the war began on October 7, 2023. While the term 'genocidal' is a matter of legal/political characterization, the factual claim that the conflict began in October 2023 is verified.

menu_book

wikipedia NEUTRAL — In 1956, the Gaza Strip was captured by Israel from Egypt for a period of four months during the Suez Crisis. Israel returned it back to Egypt in March 1957, due to heavy international pressure. Israe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_occupation_of_the_Gaza…

+ 3 more evidence sources

info

Claim 7: “A WASH assessment by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) found that only half of people surveyed in Gaza had access to basic sanitation”

SINGLE SOURCE

The provided evidence for this claim consists of adult content (pornography) search results and is completely irrelevant to OCHA or WASH assessments.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Nonton Bokep Indo terbaru gratis kualitas HD newest. Koleksi video bokep viral Indonesia terlengkap, update setiap hari di BokepHot.
https://bokephot.net/categories/indonesia/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Oct 8, 2025 · Watch Enak Sayang genjot terus, Bokep terbaru video bokep indonesia abg susu gedek lagi ngentot 2025 porn. Starring: Indo Couple. Category: Panties, Arab, Cum Swallowing, Mom, Cowgirl. E…
https://xhamster.com/videos/enak-sayang-genjot-terus-bokep-t…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — XNXX.COM 'bokep' Search, free sex videos Istri Indonesia Sange Pamer Susu Besar Putih Natural dan Memek Berbulu Tebal – Siapa yang Mau Ngentot Aku Selanjutnya? Bokep Indonesia Asli Amatir 58.9k 95% 10…
https://www.xnxx.com/search/bokep

info

Claim 8: “In some areas of Gaza, water is only available once a week”

SINGLE SOURCE

While evidence confirms water is 'limited' and desalination plants are non-functional in the north, none of the provided sources specifically state that water is available only 'once a week'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Some small desalination plants in southern Gaza may be operating at a much reduced capacity, but plants in northern Gaza are not functional. As many as 70 percent of Gazans now resort to drinking salt…
https://www.csis.org/analysis/siege-gazas-water

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Christopher Lockyear, the secretary general of Doctors Without Borders (MSF), has stated that the number of aid trucks entering Gaza has decreased since Octo...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wh6GYTQd7QU

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Water in Southern Gaza remains 'limited' despite US urging Israel to end the shutoff."South areas started getting some water just yesterday," Hamdan wrote, "but the demand is huge and the crisis is st…
https://www.businessinsider.com/water-gaza-blinken-jake-sull…

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.