Violation: Closure of an artesian well.

Location: Al-Auja Area / Jericho Governorate.

Date of Violation: 17/07/2024.

Perpetrator: The so-called Israeli Civil Administration.

Affected Party: Sadiq Ibrahim Mohamed Khatib.

Details of the Violation:

On Wednesday, July 17, 2024, during the afternoon hours, the Israeli occupation forces committed a new violation in the Al-Auja plain north of Jericho. They targeted an artesian well by bringing a concrete mixer truck to the site and pouring concrete into the well to seal and close it, aiming to completely prevent its use.

The well was established on a piece of land owned by the Palestinian Islamic Endowments Department and was leased by farmer Sadiq Ibrahim Mohamed Khatib, who supports a family of 9 members, including 5 females and 4 children.

The artesian well and the concrete sealing

The affected farmer had leased a 60-dunam plot of land from the Palestinian Islamic Endowments Department. In 2019, he drilled an artesian well on this land, reaching a depth of 136 meters with a production capacity of 100 cubic meters per hour. The well benefited at least 600 dunams of land planted with vegetables, citrus fruits, and various trees, mostly date palms.

It is worth noting that the Israeli occupation forces have increased their violations since the beginning of 2024, especially in the Al-Auja area, where several agricultural facilities have been destroyed and crops damaged repeatedly.

The affected farmer informed the Land Research Center researcher as follows:

 "I leased a piece of land from the Palestinian Endowments and also drilled an artesian well on it. I manage the land based on the contract, growing various fruit trees and vegetables. I also sell water at low prices to neighboring farmers. Approximately 600 dunams benefit from this water. With the scarcity of water resources in the area, the occupation destroyed the well without any prior warning. We were surprised when the occupation forces invaded the area and filled the well, causing damage to large areas of land."

Targeting Water Wells: A Severe Violation of the Palestinian Environment:

 Targeting wells, water tanks, and ponds has led to increased drought and desertification of agricultural lands, rendering them completely unusable. The occupation's policy of preventing the construction of wells and destroying them is a systematic approach followed by the occupation forces and settlers. They also target water springs, polluting or seizing them, such as Ain al-Sakut and Ain al-Halwa in Tubas and other areas.

According to the field research team at the Land Research Center, during the first half of 2024, the occupation forces demolished 32 wells and water tanks and an artesian well with a capacity of 463 cubic meters. They also destroyed two water pipelines totaling 1400 meters, which irrigated 550 dunams of agricultural land, leading to the destruction of crops due to the loss of their irrigation source.

Settler attacks on Palestinian water sources have also escalated. According to the Land Research Center, settlers have destroyed or damaged 10 water wells, 66 water tanks, 8 water cisterns, and seized 10 water pumps, 6 water pipelines totaling 770 meters, and 7 water springs.

About Al-Auja Village[1]:

Al-Auja Village is located 12 km from Jericho City and covers a total area of 106,399 dunams, of which 1,186 dunams are built-up area of the village. The population was 5,224 as of 2017. The occupation has confiscated 4,717 dunams of its land for settlement and military purposes. Military bases and settlements on its land have appropriated 1,600 dunams, and the bypass road No. 90, which is 8,180 meters long, has seized more than 818 dunams. There are 5 Israeli settlements on its land, which have seized 2,299 dunams of Al-Auja's land, including the following settlements:

[1] LRC-GIS.

مشروع: حماية الحقوق البيئية الفلسطينية في مناطق "ج" SPERAC IV - GFFO

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of Land Research Center and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the project donor; the Norwegian Refugee Council.

إخلاء المسؤولية: الآراء ووجهات النظر الواردة في هذا التقرير هي آراء ووجهات نظر مركز أبحاث الأراضي ولا تعكس بالضرورة وجهات نظر أو مواقف الجهة المانحة للمشروع؛ المجلس النرويجي. للاجئين