West Bank Water Supplies Become Frontline in Settlement Expansion

In June, settlers redirected the spring that once sustained Nemer’s eggplant and watermelon crops toward an ancient pool, which they now market as an Israeli attraction. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has pledged 3 million shekels for the site’s development, a move researchers view as part of a strategic effort to cement control over the territory. While settlers claim the pool dates back to the era of Herod, archaeologists argue the site's history is being weaponized to assert exclusive Jewish claims over the land.

The impact extends far beyond this single pool. United Nations data records at least 160 attacks on Palestinian water and sanitation sites this year alone. As access to springs in areas like Wadi al-Badhan becomes increasingly contested, Palestinian officials describe the trend as a "water war." For farmers, the loss of water is not merely an agricultural crisis but an existential one, forcing families to choose between abandoning their livelihoods or confronting armed settlers who, according to local testimonies, have used intimidation and violence to clear the land.