The World Health Organization and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) recommend 100 liters of water per person per day as the minimum quantity for basic consumption.

The average per-person use in the Occupied Territories is 70 liters a day.

In Israel and the settlements, average water consumption per person is 348 liters a day.

Municipal water consumption of Israeli settlers in the Gaza Strip is 584 liters per person a day, almost seven times greater than comparable consumption among Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

Three Features of the Water Shortage in the Occupied Territories:

1.) Lack of a Water Network

Among those particularly suffering from the water shortage are residents of villages and refugee camps in the Occupied Territories not connected to a running-water network. In the West Bank alone, as of June 2000, the number of such residents amounted to at least 215,000 persons living in more than 150 villages.

The principal water source for these people is rainwater, which is collected on rooftops and stored in cisterns near each house. This source meets their water-consumption needs for only a few months, generally from November to May. In the summer, these residents must collect water from nearby springs (if such exist) in plastic bottles and jerricans, and purchase water from private dealers at high prices.





2.) Discriminatory and Insufficient Supply of Water

When there is increased demand for water during the hot seasons for both Palestinians and Israeli settlers, Mekorot (the Israeli water company) discriminates and increases the amount of water supplied to the settlers, at the expense of supply to Palestinian towns. Reduction at times when water consumption increases is accomplished by closing the valve of the main water pipelines which direct water to Palestinian towns.





3.) Poor Water Quality

Unlike the West Bank, the worst problem in the Gaza Strip's water sector is not the shortage or irregular supply during the summer, but the poor quality of water flowing through the pipes. The poor condition of the water seriously affects the quality of life of the local residents and exposes them to severe heath risks. The sole local water source is the Gaza Aquifer, from which 96 percent of the water is drawn. Since the 1950s, this aquifer has become polluted and salinated, a process that has worsened with the increased consumption and pumping of water.

The main reason for the increased salt content of the aquifer is "overpumping." What occurs is that the amount of water pumped is appreciably greater than the rainfall that replenishes the aquifer's reserves.





Israel's control of the water sector in the Occupied Territories during the occupation entails violations of human rights and international law ;



1.) Violation of the right to proper subsistence and housing

2.) Violation of the right to health, resulting from the negative public health effect of the water shortage and consumption of poor-quality water

3.) Illegal exploitation of water resources of the Occupied Territories to benefit the settlements

4.) Implementation of a policy of discrimination between Palestinians and settlers in the supply of water.







Israel's water resources lie mainly under Palestinian land.



Villagers drink from wells and collect rain in rooftop tanks for washing.

In the dry summers, they buy water that is often polluted at exorbitant prices from green tractor trucks.

About 130,000 religious Jews live on West Bank land amid two million Palestinians. They make up less than 10 % of the population, but use 80 % of the water



"There is no single Israeli settlement without water, and they have good water and good pipes."



Palestinians say land is inseparable from the water that lies beneath it. They say the water is theirs.

But Israelis say they have a historical right to the water, which they have been tapping for decades.





Economic hardships for Palestinians



The water shortage has created an economic crisis for Arab villages in Gaza and the West Bank, which now cultivate only three percent of their farmland, down from more than a quarter 30 years ago, the Palestinian Hydrology Group said.

The well water is drying up slowly, and Palestinians depend on a new Israeli-Palestinian water committee to get permission to dig new wells.

But that committee has not met since last February, and no new wells have been dug.

"Water is not the dream any more. The approval to find water is the dream now," Tamimi said. "They (the Israelis) reduced the opportunities for self-sufficiency in food."

The decrease in cultivated land comes as travel restrictions imposed by Israel have forced unemployment rates to nearly 40 percent in the West Bank and 60 percent in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Monetary Authority.

Most Palestinians, who make an average $652 a year, cannot afford to buy $13 tanks of water every two weeks.

Not only is tank water expensive, it could be dangerous. In Gaza, Tamimi said, the fresh water isn't much better.

"Gaza is a disaster area. They drink water unfit for human beings, and even in some areas like Khan Yunis, they drink water unfit for agriculture," he said, adding that it was polluted with chemicals and pesticides.





Israel's annual consumption rate of water has grown tremendously due to the extended drought and its natural population growth combined with an additional one million immigrants who have come to Israel over the last decade. Shortage of water is probably the most crucial environmental problem facing Israel today, and new solutions must be found and applied to address the dwindling water supply. This also has a direct impact on relations with neighboring Arab countries who are suffering from a similar reality while vying for the shared water resources this challenge while resources continue to decrease due to drought and overuse.





Israel's Appropriation of Arab Water: An Obstacle to Peace



"Israel's designs on Lebanese water," MEI, 10 September 93 [No. 458] p. 18.)



50% or more of the water that Israel uses is unilaterally appropriated from water that should fairly go to its Arab neighbors. Even the New York Times used the word "theft" when quoting an "Arab" in connection with Israel's appropriation of regional water resources. ("Hurdle to Peace: Parting the Mideast's Waters" by Alan Cowell NYT, 10.10.93 p. 1)



Israeli work on diverting the water of the Jordan River was only temporarily suspended -- perhaps for as long as two years. By 1960, however, the diversion project -- which came to be known as the National Water Carrier -- was complete and in fact was the target of the PLO's first (and unsuccessful) attack in 1964.

Jordan and Syria strongly protested Israel's unilateral appropriation of their water because Israel's diversion made local agricultural activity impossible.

Before the Israeli diversion, the U.S. plan apportioned 33% of Jordan River water for Israel's use. As Stephen Green points out, the significance of this figure is that only 23% of the flow of the Jordan River originates in Israel. The Israelis, however, wanted more than 33%. Today, Israel takes virtually all of the Jordan River flow leaving only brackish, unusable water for the Syrians and Jordanians.







THE WEST BANK AND GAZA

Ever since the Israelis captured the West Bank and Gaza in the Six-Day War in 1967, they have strictly controlled the water resources in the territories largely because they have become so dependent on Palestinian water emanating from underground aquifers on the West Bank.

West Bank water not only makes up 30% of the water in Tel Aviv households but also is critical to preserving the pressure balance which keeps the salt water of the Mediterranean from invading the coastal aquifers.

Israel has permitted no new drilling of agricultural wells for water for the Palestinians in the territories and has permitted fewer than a dozen for domestic use. Moreover, the Israelis charge the Palestinians fees that are three times higher than they charge Israelis for water for domestic use (with even higher relative charges in Gaza).



As Sharif Elmusa points out: "in terms of relative GNP per capita, Palestinians pay a minimum of fifteen times more than Israeli consumers -- a phenomenal difference for water systems managed by the same company."

("Dividing the Common Palestinian-Israeli Waters: An International Water Law Approach" in Journal of Palestine Studies, Spring 1993, No. 87, p. 63. See also note 11, p. 74.)



Even in Gaza where the Arab population outnumbers the approximately 5,000 Jewish settlers by more than 170 to 1, the Israeli government appropriates 10-25% of Gaza water for Jews. (see Elmusa, pp. 61)



Amery's analysis suggests that Israel's interest in Lebanon is -- along with its political goals -- to maintain and/or establish control over as much of Lebanese water as possible.







The exclusively Israeli settlements are built on what the international community has recognized as Palestinian land. These gated settlement communities are composed of hundreds of small suburban houses, some with lawns, but all with vegetation and trees surrounding them.

In many settlements you will even see fountains and swimming pools. It is cheap to live in the settlements, as they are heavily subsidized by the Israeli government. Beneath the construction of this settlement are winding paved settler roads. Palestinians are expressly forbidden to use these roads and are forbidden from building within 150 meters of these roads as well.

There are an estimated 400,000 Israelis living in settlements on the West Bank. About two million Palestinians live in the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip there are 1.2 million Palestinians and 5,000 Israeli settlers. These 5,000 settlers, guarded by Israeli military, take fully one-third of the 140-square mile land.

Palestinians view Israeli’s new security fence as further confiscation of their lands. Originally, the route of the fence was along the border between Israel and Palestine, also referred to as the Green Line or the 1967 border. Due to pressure from Israeli settlers, the route now curves deep into Palestinian territory, cutting off more than 85 percent of the West Bank’s agriculture from most of the outlying villages.





Israel allocates approximately 90% of this amount to itself, leaving the Palestinian population just over 10%. If water resources were divided into equal per capita shares, Palestinians would receive approximately 45%.

As a consequence of the Israeli restrictions the Palestinians (3.3 millions) who live in the Occupied Palestinian Territories receive 57-76 litters per capita per day for all uses. But the Israelis use 353 litters of water per day.



Palestinians suffer a severe water shortage due to the Occupation.



Since 1967, the Israeli government has been stealing up to 80% of the groundwater from the"Mountain Reservoir," a group of groundwater aquifers located underneath the mountains of the Occupied West Bank of Palestine, lincluding the Occupied Jerusalem. The Palestinian people are allowed no control of these extensive water resources.

Currently, Israel consumes more than 80 percent of Palestinian ground water and denies Palestinians their rightful utilization of the Jordan River.



Its swimming pools are in glaring contrast to the situation for Palestinians living a few miles down the road, struggling with seven times less water.



Half of those in the poor and densely populated community are children. Many can be seen at the water point, filling bottles and jerry cans. Children like Mahmoud Abdullah, 13, help as best they can with the severe shortage of safe water.

“We are filling water bottles because we have no drinkable water at home, and if water is available it is salty”



Destruction of Water Network

Destruction of Roof Tanks

Destruction of Cisterns

Destruction of Wells

Destruction of Reservoirs

Destruction of Treatment Units

Stopping of Water Supply

Pollution of Water Sources

Exposure of Sewage and Cesspits

Inaccessibility to Medical Care

Inability to Dispose of Solid Waste



Palestinians are punished in four ways over water by Israel:



1.) taking control over Palestinian water.



2.) siphoning away Palestinian water and denying the Palestinians their own resources.



3.) selling the water back to the Palestinians, which is Palestinian in the first place, at fifteen times the rate they sale it to the Israelis.



4.) The quality of water supplied to Palestinians is sub standard and a danger to health.

* Resolution 106: " 'condemns' Israel for Gaza raid".

* Resolution 111: " 'condemns' Israel for raid on Syria that killed fifty-six people".

* Resolution 127: " 'recommends' Israel suspends it's 'no-man's zone' in Jerusalem".

* Resolution 162: " 'urges' Israel to comply with UN decisions".

* Resolution 171: " 'determines' flagrant violations by Israel in its attack on Syria".

* Resolution 228: " 'censures' Israel for its attack on Samu in the West Bank, then under Jordanian control".

* Resolution 237: " 'urges' Israel to allow return of new 1967 Palestinian refugees".

* Resolution 248: " 'condemns' Israel for its massive attack on Karameh in Jordan".

* Resolution 250: " 'calls' on Israel to refrain from holding military parade in Jerusalem".

* Resolution 251: " 'deeply deplores' Israeli military parade in Jerusalem in defiance of

Resolution 250".

* Resolution 252: " 'declares invalid' Israel's acts to unify Jerusalem as Jewish capital".

* Resolution 256: " 'condemns' Israeli raids on Jordan as 'flagrant violation".

* Resolution 259: " 'deplores' Israel's refusal to accept UN mission to probe occupation".

* Resolution 262: " 'condemns' Israel for attack on Beirut airport".

* Resolution 265: " 'condemns' Israel for air attacks for Salt in Jordan".

* Resolution 267: " 'censures' Israel for administrative acts to change the status of Jerusalem".

* Resolution 270: " 'condemns' Israel for air attacks on villages in southern Lebanon".

* Resolution 271: " 'condemns' Israel's failure to obey UN resolutions on Jerusalem".

* Resolution 279: " 'demands' withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon".

* Resolution 280: " 'condemns' Israeli's attacks against Lebanon".

* Resolution 285: " 'demands' immediate Israeli withdrawal form Lebanon".

* Resolution 298: " 'deplores' Israel's changing of the status of Jerusalem".

* Resolution 313: " 'demands' that Israel stop attacks against Lebanon".

* Resolution 316: " 'condemns' Israel for repeated attacks on Lebanon".

* Resolution 317: " 'deplores' Israel's refusal to release Arabs abducted in Lebanon".

* Resolution 332: " 'condemns' Israel's repeated attacks against Lebanon".

* Resolution 337: " 'condemns' Israel for violating Lebanon's sovereignty".

* Resolution 347: " 'condemns' Israeli attacks on Lebanon".

* Resolution 425: " 'calls' on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon".

* Resolution 427: " 'calls' on Israel to complete its withdrawal from Lebanon.

* Resolution 444: " 'deplores' Israel's lack of cooperation with UN peacekeeping forces".

* Resolution 446: " 'determines' that Israeli settlements are a 'serious obstruction' to peace and calls on Israel to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention".

* Resolution 450: " 'calls' on Israel to stop attacking Lebanon".

* Resolution 452: " 'calls' on Israel to cease building settlements in occupied territories".

* Resolution 465: " 'deplores' Israel's settlements and asks all member states not to assist Israel's settlements program".

* Resolution 467: " 'strongly deplores' Israel's military intervention in Lebanon".

* Resolution 468: " 'calls' on Israel to rescind illegal expulsions of two Palestinian mayors and a judge and to facilitate their return".

* Resolution 469: " 'strongly deplores' Israel's failure to observe the council's order not to deport Palestinians".

* Resolution 471: " 'expresses deep concern' at Israel's failure to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention".

* Resolution 476: " 'reiterates' that Israel's claim to Jerusalem are 'null and void'".

* Resolution 478: " 'censures (Israel) in the strongest terms' for its claim to Jerusalem in its 'Basic Law'".

* Resolution 484: " 'declares it imperative' that Israel re-admit two deported Palestinian mayors".

* Resolution 487: " 'strongly condemns' Israel for its attack on Iraq's nuclear facility".

* Resolution 497: " 'decides' that Israel's annexation of Syria's Golan Heights is 'null and void' and demands that Israel rescinds its decision forthwith".

* Resolution 498: " 'calls' on Israel to withdraw from Lebanon".

* Resolution 501: " 'calls' on Israel to stop attacks against Lebanon and withdraw its troops".

* Resolution 509: " 'demands' that Israel withdraw its forces forthwith and unconditionally from Lebanon".

* Resolution 515: " 'demands' that Israel lift its siege of Beirut and allow food supplies to be brought in".

* Resolution 517: " 'censures' Israel for failing to obey UN resolutions and demands that Israel withdraw its forces from Lebanon".

* Resolution 518: " 'demands' that Israel cooperate fully with UN forces in Lebanon".

* Resolution 520: " 'condemns' Israel's attack into West Beirut".

* Resolution 573: " 'condemns' Israel 'vigorously' for bombing Tunisia in attack on PLO headquarters.

* Resolution 587: " 'takes note' of previous calls on Israel to withdraw its forces from Lebanon and urges all parties to withdraw".

* Resolution 592: " 'strongly deplores' the killing of Palestinian students at Bir Zeit University by Israeli troops".

* Resolution 605: " 'strongly deplores' Israel's policies and practices denying the human rights of Palestinians.

* Resolution 607: " 'calls' on Israel not to deport Palestinians and strongly requests it to abide by the Fourth Geneva Convention.

* Resolution 608: " 'deeply regrets' that Israel has defied the United Nations and deported Palestinian civilians".

* Resolution 636: " 'deeply regrets' Israeli deportation of Palestinian civilians.

* Resolution 641: " 'deplores' Israel's continuing deportation of Palestinians.

* Resolution 672: " 'condemns' Israel for violence against Palestinians at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount.

* Resolution 673: " 'deplores' Israel's refusal to cooperate with the United Nations.

* Resolution 681: " 'deplores' Israel's resumption of the deportation of Palestinians.

* Resolution 694: " 'deplores' Israel's deportation of Palestinians and calls on it to ensure their safe and immediate return.

* Resolution 726: " 'strongly condemns' Israel's deportation of Palestinians.

* Resolution 799: " 'strongly condemns' Israel's deportation of 413 Palestinians and calls for their immediate return.

The UN and Israel:

resolutions against Palestinian terror: 0

Resolutions Against Israel: 429

Total number of Emergency Sessions since 1945: 10

Emergency Sessions focused on Israel: 6

Resolutions reaffirming the palestinians right to return: 28

Among the nearly 200 nations represented at the U.N., only Israel has ever been assigned special--reduced--membership privileges, its ambassadors formally barred, for 53 straight years ending only recently, from election to the Security Council. Meanwhile, and right up to the present day, that same Security Council has devoted fully a third of its energy and criticism to the policies of a single country: Israel. The U.N. Commission on Human Rights, which regularly--and unreprovingly--accepts delegations from any number of homicidal tyrannies across the globe, has issued fully a quarter of its official condemnations to a single (democratic) country: Israel.

There has been a genocide in Rwanda, an ethnic cleansing in Yugoslavia, periodic and horrifying communal "strife" in Indonesia's East Timor, the "disappearance" of a few hundred thousand refugees in the Congo, a decades-long and culturally devastating occupation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China . . . but none of those U.N. member states has ever been subjected to the rebuke of a General Assembly "emergency special session." Israel has, though, repeatedly, simply for refusing to surrender in the face of terrorist attacks

that have killed hundreds and injured thousands of its citizens--murders that no U.N. resolution has ever so much as mentioned.

No fewer than four separate administrative units within the U.N.--two of them directly supervised by Kofi Annan's governing secretariat--do nothing but spend millions of dollars annually on the production and worldwide distribution of propaganda questioning Israel's right to exist. The "Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and other Arabs of the Occupied Territories," for example, "investigates" Israel's continued "practice" of "occupying" not just the territory taken in the 1967 war, but also the land within its internationally recognized, pre-1967 borders.

And then there is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, an operation originally established in December 1949 to assist those Palestinian refugees - there are nearly 13,000 UNRWA employees- all but 37 are Palestinians

Think of the United Nations the way you think of the Mississippi or Alabama Supreme Court in the 1930's. There was no way African Americans were ever going to get a fair deal. When hatred and prejudice are so deeply ingrained in an organization, its reflected in all its aspects.

With 56 muslim nations voting as a block, this isn't going to change anytime soon.

I guess someone needs to turn up the heat at the U.N. on all those naughty 200 nations to get a resolution passed for the Israeli refugees then



but what am I saying -

you ARE turing up the heat and there AREN'T any Israeli refugees

but nevermind those small details - the whining about how unfair 200 nations are is much more revealing - almost makes one forget the U.N. represents the agreement OF those 200 nations

Condemning the "U.N." is really just condemning almost every nation on earth.

damn the world - I'm melting, melting... what a world, what a world......

I guess someone needs to turn up the heat at the U.N. on all those naughty 200 nations to get a resolution passed for the Israeli refugees then

The 850,000 Jewish refugees kicked out of Arab lands? They are truly the forgotten refugees in this crisis. I don't anticipate any relief or satisfaction for them, for the previously stated reasons.



but what am I saying -

you ARE turing up the heat and there AREN'T any Israeli refugees

Just 850,000 . Not too many.

Condemning the "U.N." is really just condemning almost every nation on earth.

Sometimes the majority isn't on the side of justice. Sad but true. Think the American South, anti-belleum era. Until then, there will always be a still, quiet voice calling out for justice from the wilderness.

damn the world - I'm melting, melting... what a world, what a world....

Then stop the world and melt with me.

Ignore majority opinion. Root for justice. Root for peace. Root for Israel.

> The 850,000 Jewish refugees

hey - where are they now and *how much water are they using* ?

where is the water coming from ?

how much of the American taxpayer's money has been used to support them ?



small details that get left out (framed) seem to matter the most

the devil is in those details

Your water article is lifted from B'Tselem. Interestingly enough, when i quoted them as a source for Israeli and Palestinian death rates, you discounted their objectivity. You've done an about face rather rapidly.



http://www.btselem.org/English/Publications/Summaries/200007_Thirsty_for_a_Solution.asp

wrong - the data is only partially carried there - most of it is from M.E.I.

and my "discounting" consisted of asking for more than a single source for an entirely different subject as an *Israeli government organization* was the source for it.

this water news story is from *several sources* and there's no question about the accuracy of it or it's sources

you're only



a.) dismissing it by implication

b.) not actually refuting any part of it

c.) willfully ignoring the story it'self (diversionary tactic)

d.) demonizing the U.N. insted which is also a diversionary tactic

e.) not even addressing your own diversion about the "Israeli refugees"

do you ever get tired doing all that tap-dancing and squirming ?

wrong - the data is only partially carried there - most of it is from M.E.I.

However neither source is cited. I can only wonder why.

and my "discounting" consisted of asking for more than a single source for an entirely different subject as an *Israeli government organization* was the source for it.

Its an non-governmen al organization. There are many sources out there. Find one you like.

this water news story is from *several sources* and there's no question about the accuracy of it or it's sources

We'll go into that later when I have time to deconstruct this.

you're only

a.) dismissing it by implication

b.) not actually refuting any part of it

c.) willfully ignoring the story it'self (diversionary tactic)

d.) demonizing the U.N. insted which is also a diversionary tactic

e.) not even addressing your own diversion about the "Israeli refugees"

The UN address is about the following post- your own diversionary strategy from the water issue, perhaps?

Israel has a strong agricultural industry. Remember the Gaza greenhouses? The ones gifted to the Palestinians that they destroyed.? Hydroponic agriculture- and all desert agriculture is very water intensive. Its a way to feed your population. Does this count for the difference in water consumption?

do you ever get tired doing all that tap-dancing and squirming ?

Just trying to keep up with you sweetheart.

> neither source is cited. I can only wonder why

Volume, page citations throughout



re: using an Israeli government source as data

> Find one you like

the claims (spam) are yours - the burden of validation is likewise



re: the water

> We'll go into that later when I have time to deconstruct this.



you can't - there's no propaganda pre-digest available for this issue :)

that's why I authored this article here :)

I've already tested it on one of your fellow zionist astro-trolls and got no response



re: tap-dancing due to lack of readyly available propaganda to paste

> Just trying to keep up with you sweetheart.

well we're back to discrediting by implication again aren't we

the steps have changed slightly but the dancing never stopped

the record is skipping however - repeating the *exact same propaganda* - that comes closest to this issue - so you maintain a bank of propaganda ready to paste at a moments notice

that's nice to know

Volume, page citations throughout

But none from b'Tselem. Too embarrassing, since you already dismissed them?

the claims (spam) are yours - the burden of validation is likewise

I can easiy provide govt. stats. I can't provide stats you'll like. The burden is not on me to provide stats you'll like.



re: the water

> We'll go into that later when I have time to deconstruct this.

you can't - there's no propaganda pre-digest available for this issue :)

No- it requires research. I don't know the facts off the top of my head. Agriculture is extremely water intensive. The Jews in Gaza were able to feed themselves with their extensive greenhouse system....the Gazans blew that opportunity. If you showed a field of soybeans growing it would be more accurate than a montage of swimming pools. But it wouldn't be as inflamitory would it?

that's why I authored this article here :)

Cut and pasted , not "authored". Nothing original here.

the record is skipping however - repeating the *exact same propaganda* - that comes closest to this issue - so you maintain a bank of propaganda ready to paste at a moments notice

The anti-Semites have been using the same lines since the Middle Ages. Its not hard. The article TW's been rolling around in for the last year is simply Einstein dissecting the same anti-Semitic crap we hear on Indy media. The more things change.....Of course, he didn't know that since he's been lying about its contents. Didn't think we'd check up on him, I suppose.

It takes water to grow food in the desert.

> But none from b'Tselem. Too embarrassing, since you already dismissed them?

I did this article quite some time ago - for another website.

b'Tselem wasn't an issue there or then...



> Cut and pasted , not "authored". Nothing original here.

WRONG - I collected pictures from various places in Israel and the Palestine occupied lands and put them all together in the pattern & order you see (all three of the pictures in the article including the Israeli racism graffiti and slogans)

I also (in the original article not here since I can't do it without HTML formatting here) set the pictures at specific places in the body of the texts

the graphics are 100 % original (to me the pictures tell the story all by themselves and you'll have a very hard time rationalizing them away - the blueness of the wasted swimming pool water provides a striking visual contrast to the dust/brown/dry bottles and children struggling for even a sip - even the lines of containers and the thin water hose coming off the tanker has impact - the Israeli's give but a *trickle* of the Palestinian's *own water* back to them - a hose that thin could run all day or even several days before the tank is empty)

I have pictures of water fountains and swimming pools *in the settlements* too

pray I don't do a part two of this story :)

When Palestinians do have the occasion to build new homes with what should be running water the Israeli's cut them off rendering the plumbing useless

The Isreali's intentionally keep them without running water as another form of control and punishment..

While only a few thousand feet away in some cases the illegal Israeli settlers enjoy swimming pools and water fountains then claim there is a "water shortage"