Report: Settler violence dominates water deprivation for Palestinians

A report prepared by the National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated that settler violence and terrorism are at the forefront of depriving Palestinians of water resources.

In its weekly settlement report, issued Saturday, the bureau highlighted the settlers' ambitions and repeated attacks on water stations and wells in the Ein Samia area, east of Kafr Malik, northeast of Ramallah. These attacks represent a source of ongoing suffering, including the displacement of citizens and attacks on water sources.

Ain Samia is one of the most important groundwater sources in the northeastern Ramallah area. It contains five working water wells, ranging in depth from 100 to 500 meters. The total production capacity of these wells is estimated at approximately 12,000 cubic meters per day, representing 17% of the daily quantities supplied by the Jerusalem Water Authority.

Ain Samia wells directly supply 19 residential communities, namely: Deir Dibwan, Barqa, Beitin, Ain Yabroud, Kafr Malik, Taybeh, Rammun, Deir Jarir, Silwad, Al-Mazraa Al-Sharqiya, Abu Falah, Al-Mughayyir, Turmus Ayya, Sinjil, Jaljalia, Abwein, Aroura, and Al-Nubani Farms.

Ain Samia also supplies 14 communities jointly through the Ramallah station: Dura al-Qar’, Jalazoun Camp, Jifna, Ein Siniya, Birzeit, Birzeit University, Abu Qash, Atara, Deir Sudan, Ajul, Jibia, Barham, Kobar, Abu Shkheidam, and Mazra’a al-Qibliya.

The total number of citizens who benefit from Ain Samia well water, whether fully or partially, is approximately 110,000.

The weekly report stated that dozens of Bedouin families from the Ka'abneh clan were forced to evacuate a community established in the area 40 years ago on private property belonging to the people of Kafr Malik, and registered in the Land Registry, pursuant to arrangements and agreements with the landowners. It indicated that the community was subjected to attacks by settlers who initially established four pastoral outposts on the hills surrounding the community, and organized focused campaigns of persecution, threats, and reduction of grazing areas, which forced them to dismantle their facilities and leave after the area became home to dozens of pastoral outposts spread over scattered areas, besieging shepherds and Bedouins, and even harassing passers-by who use the winding roads in the area. While many of the outposts were established illegally, even under the occupation's regulations, none of them were demolished, but rather were legitimized through the collusion and partnership between the occupation army and police and terrorist gangs, which create a coercive environment that threatens the Palestinian presence in the area.

He noted that after the displacement, it was the turn of the water resources in the region. The Jerusalem Water Authority announced last week that pumping had completely stopped from the water wells and stations in the Ein Samia area, as a result of the escalation of settler attacks on facilities and vital installations in the region. He added that its crews had lost control and technical and administrative control over the entire water system in Ein Samia, due to a series of attacks that directly targeted the electricity networks, pumping equipment, communications systems and surveillance cameras, which led to a complete halt in work and the disruption of pumping to dozens of Palestinian villages and towns in the north and east of the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate.

The Water Authority warned that continuing the current situation would cause a disaster that would deprive more than 110,000 citizens of their basic right to water.

The report indicated that the occupation authorities control water sources, and water is distributed to Palestinians through the Israeli company "Mekorot", which has gradually begun over the years to reduce the quantities of water allocated to them, which exacerbates the water crisis in the summer, especially since the occupation controls additional distribution points in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate. In addition, settlers attack the Authority's water source in the Ein Samia area, vandalizing its property, and assaulting its crews. This came after a sub-water station in the eastern plains of the village of Kafr Malik was attacked by settlers who vandalized the network of wells, pumps, and pipes that draw water from the spring. This was only one of several attacks carried out by settlers who target Palestinian springs and water stations by vandalizing them, diverting their course, or seizing them.

The report noted that the residents of the aforementioned area have been, for years, the target of terror by the occupation army and settler gangs. A few years ago, this terror succeeded in displacing the remaining residents of the Ein Samia community, who numbered about 200 Palestinians. They were forced to leave their lands after the settlers, along with the occupation army, turned their lives into hell, due to the severity of what they suffered over the years from the violence of the occupation forces, and from strict restrictions on the construction of housing and the establishment of infrastructure, including demolition, and from the violence of the settlers, which took place with the full support of the occupation army, and even from the judicial system, which authorized the demolition of a school in the area.

He emphasized that this occupation policy paved the way for the attacks by Jewish terrorist organizations on water resources, and the seizure of more and more Palestinian land, placing it at the disposal of the colonists and in their service.

She stressed that the settlers' attacks on the Ein Samia Water Authority have exacerbated the crisis facing Palestinian citizens in obtaining their water rights, which are being seized by the occupation authorities. With each summer, the water crisis erupts in several governorates in the West Bank, but the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate remains under intense pressure to meet its growing needs, in light of the Israeli authorities' intransigence in increasing the quantities required by Palestinians, despite the steady growth in population.

The settlers' attacks on the water network in Ein Samia bring to mind the occupation's policy of seizing Palestinian water resources and its discrimination against Palestinians and settlers regarding access to water.

According to estimates, the Israeli occupation controls more than 84% of Palestinian water in the West Bank. Furthermore, the occupation authorities have demolished at least 500 water collection wells, seized more than 52% of Palestinian water in the West Bank for the benefit of its residents within the 1948 territories, and seized 32% for the benefit of the settlements. As a result, the land and water owners are left with only 16% of their water.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented in its latest report that at least 2,895 Palestinians have been displaced from 69 communities across the West Bank since the beginning of 2023, due to the coercive environment resulting from escalating settler violence. Forty-five percent of the displaced families were from the Ramallah governorate (1,309 out of 2,895 families), followed by the governorates of Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus, Tubas, Salfit, Jerusalem, and Jericho – areas where settlers, believed to be from nearby settlement outposts, have launched attacks on Palestinian communities located nearby.

Of the 636 people displaced in this context so far in 2025, a third of these were in the Jordan Valley area (215 out of 636 displaced people).

On another front, Judaization and colonialism projects continue in various forms in occupied Jerusalem. The occupation authorities are discussing moving forward with approving the so-called "Brown Line" light rail plan for occupied Jerusalem. This is a dangerous colonial plan and a direct extension of the Judaization policies and the imposition of complete Israeli control over the occupied city.

The National Bureau noted in its report that this plan does not fall within the framework of improving infrastructure or providing civil services, but rather is an attempt to impose unilateral facts by force to consolidate the map of Israeli colonial interests in the city of Jerusalem. It aims to connect the “industrial zone” in the “Atarot” settlement to the village of Sur Baher, passing through a number of Palestinian neighborhoods and areas in East Jerusalem, including Ras al-Amud, Jabal al-Mukaber, Bab al-Amud, Beit Hanina, and the Old City, to connect the neighborhoods of East Jerusalem from north to south, via two main sections: The northern section starts from “Atarot” in the north, to Bab al-Amud, and depends partially on the path of the “Red Line,” especially between the “Shiftei Yisrael” station and Beit Hanina, and then north along the Ramallah Road (old Route 60) to the industrial zone in Atarot. This section includes nine new stations, in addition to stops at seven existing stations, currently used only by the “Red Line.”

He pointed out that the occupation government is planning to establish a new ultra-Orthodox settlement, comprising approximately 9,000 settlement units. In this regard, the Bimkom - Planning and Human Rights Association, which opposes the plan, states that the debate is focused only on the northern section of the line's route, the portion required to implement the aforementioned settlement project.

She added: "Although the Brown Line is presented as a modern transportation project serving Palestinians and Israelis in the city, the reality is that it is being promoted primarily to serve the settlers, with almost complete disregard for the needs of the Palestinian population, who suffer from overcrowding, a lack of infrastructure, and a lack of basic services."

The report stated: The so-called Israeli Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Meir Porush, from the far-right religious Agudat Yisrael party, decided to seize properties in Bab al-Silsila in the Old City of Jerusalem hours before his resignation from his position.

He claimed that his decision was based on a decision originally issued after the city's occupation in 1967, which stipulated the seizure of all properties in the Bab al-Silsila and Harat al-Sharaf areas, which were then transferred to the management of the Jewish Quarter Rehabilitation and Development Company.

Under the title "Expropriation of Properties on Silsilah Street," Porush addressed a letter to the director of the Jewish Quarter Rehabilitation and Development Company, in which he stated: "In accordance with the decision taken by the Israel Land Authority following the return of the Old City of Jerusalem to the people of Israel in 1967 (he claims), all properties in the Jewish Quarter were seized and transferred to the management of the Jewish Quarter Rehabilitation and Development Company."

The following is a summary of the weekly violations:

Jerusalem

Jerusalemites from the Halwani family began emptying their property from a six-apartment building in the town of Beit Hanina, in preparation for its demolition by order of the Jerusalem municipality. Subhiya Shakirat was forced to demolish her home in the town of Jabal al-Mukaber, on the grounds that it was built without a permit.

The occupation authorities also delivered a final demolition notice to a residential building inhabited by 17 Jerusalemite families in the Al-Sawana neighborhood, giving the families only three days to evacuate. This will result in the displacement of 17 families residing in the building, comprising approximately 100 Jerusalemites, on the grounds that the building lacks a permit, and that its residents have paid hefty fines to the occupation municipality over the past years.

Among the families residing in the building is the family of the imam of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, head of the Supreme Islamic Council, Sheikh Ikrima Sabri.

In the town of As-Sawahra, settlers attacked an agricultural facility belonging to the Salama Shakirat family, assaulting the sheep, leaving them homeless. They also smashed an agricultural tractor, broke windows, and damaged the contents of rooms. They also destroyed solar panels, surveillance cameras, and a fence surrounding the facility, and destroyed quantities of fodder.

Hebron

Settlers stormed Khirbet al-Fakhit in Masafer Yatta and carried out provocative raids, coinciding with the presence of the occupation army, which arrested a foreign "peace activist" who was documenting violations. Meanwhile, a settler with his sheep stormed the "Shaab al-Batm" area in the same place. In the al-Hamra area, affiliated with the village of al-Tuwana, the occupation forces forced a number of citizens to leave their lands and provided protection for a number of settlers who stormed the area and brought their livestock into lands planted with fruit trees, which led to the destruction of part of the agricultural crops.

In the town of Idhna, occupation forces bulldozed citizens' lands at the main entrance to the town, belonging to citizen Jihad Tamimi, breaking grape and lemon trees, and destroying barbed wire. They also bulldozed other areas of land in the same area, under the pretext of searching for water lines belonging to the Israeli company "Mekorot".

In Wadi al-Simsam, south of Adh Dhahiriya, settlers attacked residents and their property, threatened to displace them from their lands, and emptied drinking water tanks and livestock tanks.

Citizen Mohammed Al-Amur sustained injuries and bruises in an attack by settlers from the "Avi Gal" settlement, built on citizens' land and property in the village of Al-Rakeez in Al-Masafir. Others released hundreds of heads of livestock onto land planted with fruit trees in Khirbet Aqwawis, causing damage to crops and posing a direct threat to the lives of residents and their agricultural environment.

Bethlehem

The occupation forces delivered demolition notices to seven homes in the town of Al-Khader in the Umm Rukba area, belonging to citizens Samih Salah, Saed Salah, Samir Salah, Mahmoud Salah, Adam Salah, Muhammad Musa, and Youssef Musa.

In the village of Kisan, settlers attacked residents, committing "acts of looting, vandalism, and violence," and preventing farmers and shepherds from accessing their lands. Others set up a number of caravans in the Al-Makhrour area of Beit Jala and Al-Khammar area of Battir, west of Bethlehem Governorate. This move aims to expand existing colonial outposts and strengthen colonialism in the area.

In the village of Al-Jab'a, occupation forces demolished a car wash and a garage belonging to the head of the Al-Jab'a village council, Diab Masha'la, on the pretext of lacking a license.

Ramallah

Settlers have begun paving a new colonial road on lands in the town of Mikhmas, a move aimed at facilitating colonial expansion and connecting informal settlements to the larger settlements in the area. This move will lead to the seizure of hundreds of dunams of Palestinian land, paving the way for their transformation into closed military zones or "nature reserves" as a pretext for actual annexation.

Other settlers attacked the outskirts of Ni'lin town, raiding a house under construction in the area owned by Ibrahim Al-Khawaja. They severely beat the owner, causing him head injuries, and then set the house on fire.

In the village of al-Mughayyir, dozens suffered suffocation as they confronted a colonialist attack from the east. Others attacked the village of Beitin, burning two vehicles, spray-painting racist slogans on the outer wall of a house, and launching a drone into the village sky.

In Kafr Malik, settlers stole agricultural equipment, while others moved mobile homes to the vicinity of a colonial outpost built on land in the town of Sinjil. A third group attempted to attack homes on the outskirts of the town of Jaljalia.

Nablus

Under the protection of the occupation forces, settler bulldozers began extensive excavation work in the colonial outpost south of the town of Aqraba, targeting the historic archaeological site located on top of Mount Qarqafah.

In the town of Beita, south of Nablus, a 19-year-old young man was injured after settlers attacked him in the town.

Salfit

Settlers attacked citizen Ayser Shamlawi from the town of Haris, assaulting him while he was picking cactus fruits in the Wadi Qana area. They stole his agricultural tools and a quantity of cactus fruits.

fetal

Settlers cut down dozens of olive trees in the village of Jalbun, located in the southeastern part of the village. The targeted area is located near the racist separation and expansion wall and covers an area of 130 dunams. The occupation forces are preventing residents from reaching the targeted area.

Qalqilya

The occupation authorities have issued a seizure order for 7 dunams of land in the village of Jinsafut, east of Qalqilya. This decision is intended to expand and pave a new military road for the settlements of Neve Menachem and Ramat Gilad.

Jordan Valley

The occupation authorities have issued a decision to drill a groundwater well in the northern Jordan Valley for the Israeli company Mekorot. The planned well will be 600 meters deep and will be located on Palestinian land in Khirbet al-Hadidiya.

These measures threaten a plot of land of approximately 1.5 dunams owned by citizens of Tubas.

Seven families were also notified to stop work on residential and agricultural facilities in the Al-Farisiya community in the northern Jordan Valley.

In Ein al-Hilweh and Ein al-Bayda, occupation forces demolished residential and livestock facilities in the Ein al-Hilweh and Ein al-Bayda areas in the northern Jordan Valley, while settlers stormed the al-Maleh Bedouin community in the northern Jordan Valley and stole a flock of approximately 200 sheep.