Israeli Settlers Divert Palestinian Water Source for Recreational Pool in West Bank

Israeli settlers have diverted water from a spring used by the Palestinian village of Fasayil in the Jordan Valley to fill a pool at an archaeological site. The spring has served as a lifeline for the village for generations, providing water for domestic use and the irrigation of crops such as eggplant, zucchini, and watermelons. Saad Nemer, a local farmer, stated that settlers seized his irrigation pipeline in June. The pool is now being advertised as a tourist attraction, and Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, has pledged financial support for the development of a recreational park around it.

United Nations data indicates that settlers have attacked at least 160 water and sanitation sites across the Palestinian territory this year. Fares Foqahaa, a Palestinian field researcher, estimated that settlers now control 95 percent of springs in the northern Jordan Valley. Adel Yassin of the Palestinian Authority's water authority described the situation as a water war intended to force Palestinians off their land. In a separate incident in the village of Qusra, settlers reportedly cut off water and electricity to three homes.

Yishai Shreiber, an Israeli settler, stated that the West Bank belongs to the Jewish people and suggested that Palestinians who do not accept Jewish authority should leave. Nemer presented a 2025 land ownership document from COGAT and a 1957 registration map to support his claim to the spring and pool. Both COGAT and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich did not respond to requests for comment.

The United Nations and most governments view the settlements as illegal under international law. Israel, which seized the West Bank in 1967, argues the territory is disputed rather than occupied. Both sources, which are center leaning, frame the event as part of a broader pattern of resource seizure and settlement expansion in the West Bank.