‘Policy to displace us’: How settler attacks are drying up the West Bank
Standing beside the dry land that once fed his 120 sheep, Montaser al-Malki dreads the next Israeli settler attack.
A farmer in Kafr Malik, northeast of Ramallah, Malki is one of thousands of Palestinians caught in a worsening water crisis in the occupied West Bank, caused by systematic settler sabotage.
In recent weeks, Israeli settlers have repeatedly attacked Ein Samia, a key spring that supplies dozens of villages. They have destroyed pipes, pumps and access roads, cutting off clean water to entire communities.
On Monday, the Jerusalem Governorate Water Utility announced a complete shutdown of water pumping from Ein Samia.
The Water Authority said it has lost all technical and administrative control over the system.
Water, once a lifeline, has become a tool of displacement, Palestinians say.
“I have a family of nine, and I own crops and livestock,” said Malki. “Our economic situation is dire. We’re exhausted by the seizure of pastures.”
Water supply cuts, sometimes lasting more than 10 days, have forced farmers like Malki to buy water from expensive tanks, and most of it is unfit for drinking.
“We fear the settlers' permanent control over Ein Samia,” he told Middle East Eye. “If I rely on tanked water, I won’t last a month. I’ll go bankrupt.”
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