Israeli Settlers Seize Palestinian Water Springs in West Bank
Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank have stepped up efforts to seize natural water springs, cutting off vital irrigation and tourism lifelines for Palestinian communities. In one instance over the summer, water feeding the Palestinian village of Fasayil was diverted into an ancient nearby pool that was subsequently designated as a tourist attraction named after the Roman-appointed king Herod.
Palestinian farmer Saad Nemer, a resident of Fasayil, stated that the sudden loss of water has devastated his agricultural fields. The Israeli military body responsible for civil administration in the territory, COGAT, acknowledged that the water diversion occurred without authorization and announced plans to investigate the incident.
According to excavations conducted by the archaeology unit of Israel’s Civil Administration, other ruins in the vicinity date to the first century BCE during Herod’s reign, though it remains unclear when the specific site was constructed. Israeli rights group B’Tselem reports that the drive to capture and claim these heritage sites forms part of a broader strategy by the State of Israel and the Jewish people to solidify historical, cultural, and religious connections to the West Bank.
Israel’s far-right Heritage Minister, Amihai Eliyahu, visited the pool and praised the individuals responsible for diverting the water. He told the Associated Press that the pool is scheduled to be drained in early October so the administration’s archaeologists can finish a comprehensive survey, adding that approximately $1 million could be allocated to rehabilitate the location.
“We’ll turn this place into the Garden of Eden,” Eliyahu said during his visit.
Palestinians across the West Bank have contended with water restrictions and shortages since Israel assumed control of the territory in 1967, a situation compounded by rising settler attacks. The report notes that attackers are increasingly targeting shared water infrastructure, disrupting supplies to entire communities or large sections of them.
Earlier this month, 12 countries announced fresh trade sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank amid what they characterized as a rapidly deteriorating situation driven by escalating settler violence. Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden joined the UK and France in confirming plans for trade restrictions, according to a joint ministerial statement.
“The Government of Israel’s actions in the West Bank are undermining the possibility of a two-State solution,” the foreign ministers stated, pointing to unprecedented levels of settler violence and settlement expansion. “Together, we are resolute: the two-state solution must be protected, and we will take action in pursuit of a just and lasting peace.”
The West Bank has experienced a sharp rise in violence since the outbreak of the war in Gaza following the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023. Data from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights shows that approximately 737,000 Israeli settlers lived in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as of October 2024. All Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law.