Ein al-Auja: How settler attacks and water diversion erased a Palestinian community

Ein al-Auja, a Palestinian community nestled near a natural spring and waterfall in the occupied West Bank, has been gradually erased by settler attacks and water diversion. Haitham Rashaidh, one of the last residents to leave, described the move as losing a part of themselves, as water that once flowed in torrents has been reduced to a trickle. The spring's water, estimated at thousands of cubic meters daily, is now barely a trickle, leaving the community to struggle for survival.

The decline of the spring and the community can be attributed to several factors. Israel's diversion of water, coupled with ongoing settler attacks, made life in the community untenable. Rashaidh recounted how they were forced to leave multiple times before finally reaching their breaking point in early 2024. The attacks, numbering at least 38 in the past year, included cutting or damaging water pipes, blocking access roads, and intimidating residents.

The environmental researcher Ayman Abu Zaher noted that the spring's water flow has dropped by 50 to 70 percent in recent years and has sometimes completely dried up. This decline is a result of both climate change and wells drilled nearby, which extract significant amounts of water from the region's groundwater layers. Israeli authorities have deepened wells to nearly 1,000 meters and added a fourth well, diverting the water to Israeli settlements instead of supplying Palestinian communities.

The situation has become increasingly dire, particularly for women who bear the responsibility of securing water for their households. Naifa Zaied, a displaced resident, described how every liter of water has become a struggle. The transformation in the region has been so profound that even something as basic as accessing water has become a daily challenge for the affected families.