The Canadian government is still calling for an investigation into Israel's destruction about a month ago of a large water facility in the Gaza Strip, an area Ottawa is known for supporting the Palestinians.

The office of International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen stated that the incident exacerbates the "disastrous" humanitarian situation.

Ministry spokesperson Olivia Patten said, "Canada has contacted the Israeli government for more information about this incident and we are demanding an investigation."

Israeli forces say they are investigating what happened last month when their soldiers were filmed planting explosives and destroying a water treatment facility in the city of Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are sheltering.

The facility is located in the Tel Sultan area, in a neighborhood that the Palestinian delegation in Ottawa claims is popularly known as Canada due to the country’s support for various projects in that area over decades.

The facility is often referred to as the "Canada Well," although it has operated in recent years with funding from the United Nations and Japan.

The Canadian Global Affairs Ministry stated it could not confirm claims that the well was constructed with federal funding. Patten wrote, "The well is located in Tel Sultan, where Canada has played an important role in improving the quality of life for the community."

The Palestinian delegations clarified that the facility provided clean water for about 100,000 people at a time when polio is spreading in Gaza.

The International Development Research Centre, a crown corporation that has decades of work abroad, found no immediate evidence of funding for such a project.

Patten reiterated Canada’s call for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas to allow more aid to reach the Palestinians.

She wrote, "This incident increases pressure on the already deteriorating water infrastructure and exacerbates the difficulties faced by civilians in accessing clean water. The risk of famine and disease continues to grow widely and is exacerbated by the destruction of medical, humanitarian, and civil infrastructure, such as this well."

Last month, a municipal official in Khan Younis told Reuters that Israeli forces destroyed 30 water wells in that city and Rafah during the last two weeks of July.

The Israeli military did not clarify how the destruction of a water facility helps achieve its goal of driving Hamas out of the Gaza Strip.

The military spokesperson wrote in response to inquiries, claiming, "Israeli Defense Forces have been operating for several weeks in the Tel Sultan area, to destroy the infrastructure of terrorist organizations and eliminate them, while minimizing damage to civilian infrastructure."

"The circumstances of the case are under review."

The Israeli embassy in Ottawa insists that the country "has consistently upheld" its obligations under international law.

The embassy wrote, "Any situation that deviates from these standards is thoroughly investigated and addressed by law enforcement authorities and judicial authorities."

Meanwhile, the United Nations states that no place in the Gaza Strip has been safe since Israel began bombing Palestinian territories last fall after the October 7 attack in Israel by Hamas, which Canada classifies as a terrorist organization.