In the Jordan Valley area of the West Bank, a longstanding source of irrigation for Palestinian farmers has been disrupted after water originally destined for agricultural use was redirected to fill a swimming pool favored by Israeli visitors. The pipeline supplying spring water to Palestinian farms and a surrounding community was severed in June and rerouted to the pool, creating tensions between local Palestinians and Israeli settlers.
Saad Nemer, a 69-year-old Palestinian farmer who owns the land where the pool is located along with his siblings, described how his family’s crops—watermelons, eggplants, and cucumbers—have withered in the absence of water. “One morning nothing came out of the pipe,” he said, noting that the diversion of water has had a devastating impact on his livelihood. The pool has since become a popular destination for hundreds of Israelis, many of whom crossed onto private Palestinian land to visit the site.
No group has taken official responsibility for cutting the pipeline, but Israeli settlers have publicly celebrated the pool’s filling on social media. One Israeli lawmaker referred to those involved as “heroic settlers” reclaiming the site for Jewish ownership. A different Israeli parliamentarian promoted visiting the pool as a way to “occupy the land.”
The incident highlights broader issues concerning water access and settler activity in the West Bank, where limited water resources are a longstanding concern. According to United Nations data, Israeli settlers have damaged water and sanitation infrastructure in the area at least 80 times so far this year. These attacks often result in Palestinian communities being cut off from running water for extended periods. Settlers have also established unauthorized outposts near springs and have reportedly intimidated Palestinians trying to use the water sources.
Nemer sought intervention from the Israeli Civil Administration, the military body overseeing civilian affairs in Palestinian territories. The administration stated that the pipeline would be reconnected and that efforts to prevent further damage were underway, including erecting a fence to deter trespassing. However, Nemer said the water supply was restored for only a single day before being sabotaged again.
The pool itself lies on land recognized as privately owned by the Nemer family, with deed documents dating back over a century and official records affirming their claim. Historically, the family maintained the reservoir, allowing both Palestinians and Israelis to access it freely until it was drained in the mid-1990s following several drownings.
In recent years, as new settlers arrived, tensions have escalated. Nemer recounted aggressive encounters with the newcomers, while one of his workers, Jamal Jarwan, reported being assaulted in 2024. Nearby residents, including Ayed al-Hayas, a local day laborer, expressed fears that Palestinians are being pushed out of the area. “Without water, there is no life,” al-Hayas said, emphasizing the critical role that water access plays for his family’s daily needs.
Israeli officials have indicated an interest in developing the pool into an official tourist site, with Heritage Minister Amichay Eliyahu pledging approximately one million dollars for renovations and raising the possibility of expropriating the property while offering compensation to its owners.
The situation reflects the complex and often contentious dynamics of land, water, and settlement policies in the West Bank, where infrastructure disputes and settler-Palestinian confrontations continue to intensify amid longstanding political and territorial conflicts.