Settler attacks deprive 160,000 Palestinians of water in central occupied West Bank

A series of attacks by Israeli settlers against the Ein Samia water springs in the central occupied West Bank have caused a temporary halt in pumping operations, depriving thousands of Palestinians in nearby villages and communities from water, Palestinian Ma’an news agency reported.

A public relations official in the Jerusalem Water Authority, Fares Malki told Ma’an that the disruption in pumping and distribution operations over the past few days has deprived approximately 40,000 Palestinian homes of water, equivalent to 160,000 citizens, in a short period of time, explaining that the figures reflect the magnitude of the crisis, especially amid high temperatures and increased water consumption during the summer.

The Ein Samia springs are the sole water source for 19 Palestinian villages and communities in the north and east of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank.

According to Malki, the Israeli settlers have carried out a systematic series of attacks over the past month, including the destruction of surveillance cameras, the disruption of internet and communication lines, the destruction of electricity, and the sabotage of one of the main water lines at the central station.

He explained that the attacks caused the Authority to completely lose control over operations in the Ein Samia springs as the pumping process came to a halt for several days.

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