Settler attack disrupts 3 wells and threatens thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank

An attack carried out by Israeli settlers has led to the cessation of operations at 3 water wells relied upon by residents of 19 Palestinian communities near the city of Ramallah in the central West Bank.

The Jerusalem District Water Authority stated in a press release: The repeated attacks by settlers on Tuesday on the water wells in the Ein Samiya area (east of Ramallah) caused the main wells to stop pumping water, threatening to deprive thousands of citizens in more than 19 residential communities of their basic right to water.

The authority, which covers the Ramallah and Jerusalem governorates, indicated that the attack resulted in the cutting of control lines for wells 2, 4, and 6, leading to their complete shutdown.

It noted that its teams are working around the clock to repair the damage and resume water pumping as quickly as possible.

It called on official and international bodies to urgently intervene to stop these daily attacks and ensure the protection of the Palestinian citizens' right to access water as it is their main source of life.

It pointed out that the Ein Samiya wells have been subjected to a series of repeated attacks in recent months, while its teams face significant challenges in reaching the wells and repairing the damage, which exacerbates the water crisis and threatens the water security of dozens of Palestinian communities.

Ein Samiya is one of the most important sources of groundwater in the northeastern Ramallah area, with an estimated total production capacity of about 12,000 cubic meters per day, representing 17% of the daily quantities supplied by the Jerusalem District Water Authority.

The wells are located on the eastern slopes of the West Bank and have witnessed significant settlement attacks since before October 7, 2023. However, with the onset of the genocide war in Gaza, Israeli settlers took control of the area and expelled Palestinian farmers from it, hindering the Jerusalem water authority from performing its duties.

In Ein Samiya, located in the lands of Kafr Malik (east of Ramallah), there are 6 water wells that have supplied the majority of towns in eastern Ramallah with drinking water since the 1960s.

Alongside the genocide war in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army and settlers in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, have killed at least 1,047 Palestinians and injured about 10,300, in addition to arresting more than 19,000, including 400 children, according to official Palestinian data.