Israel destroys water pipeline in Palestinian village

Israeli bulldozers destroyed a water pipeline supplying the northern Jordan Valley village of Ras Al-Ahmar with fresh drinking water, early yesterday.

According to a local official, Mutaz Bisharat, four Israeli bulldozers raided the Ras Al-Ahmar village along with seven Israeli military jeeps, and began to destroy the water pipeline.

Bisharat added that Israeli bulldozers razed the land for five hours to create a military road.

He pointed out that the destroyed water pipeline was used by local Palestinian farmers for drinking water and to irrigate their lands.

Read: Israel evacuates 21 Palestinian families for military training in Jordan Valley

Israeli forces destroyed the water pipeline and created a 2.5 kilometre-long road linking the main road of Ras Al-Ahmar village to the Msheibek area, which Israel declared a closed military zone.

Locals told Ma’an that while Israeli forces razed the land, Palestinian residents were prevented from entering or exiting the area.

Khirbet Ras Al-Ahmar is one of approximately 180 Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank on lands designated as “Area C” – the area of the West bank under full Israeli security and civilian control – according to Israeli human rights NGO B’Tselem.

The village is often raided by Israeli forces, who hold various military operations in the area, forcing residents of the village to leave their homes for several hours or even days.

Additionally, the village is a designated Israeli military “firing zone”.

Read: Israel orders Jordan Valley farmers off their land

Nearly 20 per cent of the occupied West Bank has been declared “firing zones” since the 1970s, but according to the UN, nearly 80 per cent of these areas are not in fact used for military training.

Rights groups have accused Israel of declaring some parts of the West Bank as firing zones in an attempt to annex them.