JERICHO, The Israeli army Wednesday evening destroyed the main water pipeline of al-Auja community, north of the occupied West Bank village of Jericho, according to the community residents.

They said that Israeli forces barged their way into the community and welded-shut the sole pipeline supplying water to some 1,200 people and used a bulldozer to erect an earth mound on it.

Hasan Mleihat, the supervisor of the Al-Baidar Organization for Defending the Rights of the Bedouins, said the community is one of the largest communities in the West Bank and is a target of frequent assaults and violations by the Israeli soldiers and settlers, noting that such assaults are intended to displace the community and seize their water and land to make room for colonial settlement construction.

Israel has severely restricted Palestinian access to water in the area, particularly that local water springs, including ‘Ein al-Auja (al-Auja spring), are located within Area C. Local water springs are susceptible to dryness as a result of Israel’s control over water. Israel have set up huge wells over the local hot water basins, reducing the quantity of water flowing from the spring and causing destruction to thousands of dunums of agricultural land irrigated by the water spring.

Source: Palestine News & Info Agency