Israel reduces water supply to Bethlehem

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Source: PWA, Amnesty International

The Water Authority in Bethlehem announced today that the Israeli water company has reduced the water quantities allocated to the Hebron and Bethlehem governorates, with a reduction rate of approximately 35% from the main water source, which supplies these two governorates.

The Water Authority also clarified that the Israeli water company has completely stopped pumping water for several consecutive hours, negatively affecting the southern region in general, and the Hebron governorate and its southern areas in particular.
According to the Palestinian Water Authority, this reduction has exacerbated the crisis for many communities, making it difficult to provide them with their designated water shares due to this reduction.

The Palestinian Water Authority confirmed that the Israeli water company reduction of water quantities at this time means an early start to the water shortage crisis and greater suffering for the citizens.

Israel is a world leader in water management and technology. Last year, a first-of-its-kind project began pumping desalinated seawater from the Mediterranean northwards, to replenish the shrinking Sea of Galilee. But this precious resource is not shared with the Palestinians.

Pilgrims to the Holy Land often notice the difference when crossing from Israel into the Occupied West Bank. On one side there are green lawns with sprinklers, swimming pools and lush gardens - while on the other side the ground is brown and parched. The gated illegal Israeli settlements are also flourishing, while the Palestinian communities next to them often do not have enough water to drink.

Amnesty International state: 'Soon after Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, in June 1967, the Israeli military authorities consolidated complete power over all water resources and water-related infrastructure in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). 50 years on, Israel continues to control and restrict Palestinian access to water in the Occupied Territories to a level which neither meets their needs nor constitutes a fair distribution of shared water resources.

'In November 1967 the Israeli authorities issued Military Order 158, which stated that Palestinians could not construct any new water installation without first obtaining a permit from the Israeli army. Since then, the extraction of water from any new source or the development of any new water infrastructure would require permits from Israel, which are near impossible to obtain. 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. Israel even controls the collection of rain water throughout most of the West Bank, and rainwater harvesting cisterns owned by Palestinian communities are often destroyed by the Israeli army. As a result, some 180 Palestinian communities in rural areas in the occupied West Bank have no access to running water, according to OCHA. Even in towns and villages which are connected to the water network, the taps often run dry.'