Israel Stops Water Supply for 2,600 Palestinians

West Bank, MINA – Israeli forces cut off water supplies for dozens of Palestinians living in the village community of Bardala, Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.

Mutaz Bisharat, an official who monitors the activities of settlements in Tubas, Jordan Valley, said that Israeli forces cut off water supplies for 60 percent of the population of Bardala village, which is 2,600 people.

Israel also cut off water supply for 1,800-2,000 dunam of Palestinian farmland that must continue to be irrigated. Maan News Agency reported on Thursday quoted by MINA.

Bisharat added Israel claimed that the water source that supplies to residents was illegal. He stressed that the water came from a water testament in the village inside Palestinian land.

He pointed out when Israeli forces cut off water supplies for Palestinians, they built a water will for Israeli settlers.

Bisharat called on international and humanitarian agencies to immediately intervene to stop Israeli human rights violations.

The Jordan Valley forms a third of the occupied West Bank, with 88 percent of the land classified as Area C, which means under the full control of the Israeli military.

The allocation of water is needed to increase agricultural production, to support the economic growth for many Palestinian farmers.

Most Jordan Valley residents live in enclaves that are closed by Israeli military zones, checkpoints, and more than 30 illegal Israeli settlements. (T/Sj/R04)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)