Israel soldiers demolish water well in West Bank

Israeli occupation forces demolished a water well yesterday, which hundreds of Palestinian farmers benefitted from, in the village of Ras Atiyeh, near Qalqilya, reported Wafa news agency.

According to Mazouz Marabeh, a local resident, the Israeli soldiers broke into the western part of the village, destroyed the well and seized all equipment used to draw water from the well.

The attack resulted in denying 400 farmers from using the water to supply their agricultural lands.

“Israel purportedly destroyed the well which was owned and operated by the Ras Atiyeh Agricultural Cooperative to prevent all these farmers from benefiting from its water,” added Mazouz.

Israel continues to steal water from the occupied West Bank by curbing Palestinian access to it, while increasing the control illegal Jewish only settlements have over water resources in the area.

In November 1967, Israeli authorities issued Military Order 158, which stated that Palestinians cannot construct any new water installation without first obtaining a permit from the Israeli army. These are nearly impossible to obtain, Amnesty reports.

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“Palestinians living under Israel’s military occupation continue to suffer the devastating consequences of this order until today. They are unable to drill new water wells, install pumps or deepen existing wells, in addition to being denied access to the Jordan River and fresh water springs,” the rights group explains.

“While restricting Palestinian access to water, Israel has effectively developed its own water infrastructure and water network in the West Bank for the use of its own citizens in Israel and in the settlements – that are illegal under international law,” it added.

Meanwhile, Israeli settlers have burned more than 100 trees south of Nablus, in the northern occupied West Bank.

Local sources reported that the settlers set fire to large areas of cultivated lands in the towns of Madama and Burin and tried to prevent Palestinian fire-fighters from putting them out.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Human rights abuses against the Palestinians and breaches of international law are daily occurrences.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. All of Israel’s settlements are illegal under international law, which the apartheid state treats with contempt.

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