Israeli settler attacks shut down 3 water wells in central West Bank

Attacks carried out Tuesday by illegal Israeli settlers caused the shutdown of three water wells relied on by residents of more than 19 Palestinian communities near the city of Ramallah in the central West Bank.

“Repeated settler attacks today, Tuesday, on water wells in the Ein Samia area led to the suspension of pumping from the main wells, threatening to deprive thousands of citizens in more than 19 residential communities of their basic right to water,” the Jerusalem Water Authority said in a statement.

The authority, which covers Ramallah and Jerusalem governorates, noted that the attacks “cut off the control lines of wells 2, 4 and 6, causing them to stop operating completely.”

It added that its crews are working around the clock to repair the damage and resume pumping water as soon as possible.

The authority appealed to official and international bodies to “urgently intervene to stop these daily attacks and ensure the protection of Palestinian citizens’ right to access water, as it is their main source of life.”

It pointed out that “Ein Samia wells have been subjected to repeated attacks over recent months, while its teams face major 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 Samia is considered one of the most important groundwater sources in the northeastern Ramallah area, with a total production capacity estimated at about 12,000 cubic meters per day. This represents 17% of the daily quantities supplied by the Jerusalem Water Authority, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.

The wells are located in the eastern slopes of the West Bank and have witnessed major settler attacks since before Oct. 7, 2023.

However, with the onset of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, illegal Israeli settlers took control of the area and expelled Palestinian farmers, hindering the ability of the Jerusalem Water Authority to carry out its work.

Located in the town of Kafr Malik east of Ramallah, Ein Samia contains six water wells that have supplied most towns east of Ramallah with drinking water since the 1960s.