Settlers Storm "Ain Samiya" Wells Again and Destroy Surveillance Cameras

SadaNews - Settlers have escalated their serious attacks against Palestinian water sources in the Ain Samiya area, east of Kafr Malik, by storming wells No. 2 and 3 and vandalizing the surveillance cameras installed on the stations' walls. They also destroyed the gate of one of the stations and stole it.

The Jerusalem Governorate Water Department warned about the dangers of repeating these attacks, which threaten the continuity of water supply to the residential areas, calling for urgent and immediate intervention to stop these deliberate violations, which constitute a clear breach of all international laws and norms related to the human right to access water.

The department confirmed that Ain Samiya wells represent a primary water source for dozens of Palestinian communities in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate, and any harm to them means depriving thousands of citizens of their right to water, amidst difficult water and living conditions.

In a related context, the department stated that its crews face extreme difficulties in accessing the well sites and maintaining them due to repeated assaults by settlers, which exposes water facilities to greater damage and disrupts maintenance and regular monitoring operations, worsening the size of the crisis.

The department emphasized that this attack is not the first, nor will it be the last, unless there is real and urgent intervention from the international community and protection and monitoring institutions to deter settlers and halt their systematic targeting of the area.