IDF rebukes police over West Bank tunnel report, says only shafts found

Israeli settlers are intensifying their attempts to take control of natural springs in the occupied West Bank, vital water sources for Palestinian communities. These communities depend on these springs for both tourism and irrigation purposes. In one incident last summer, water from a natural spring that feeds the Palestinian village of Fasayil was illegally diverted to a nearby pool, which was then rebranded as a new tourist attraction named after Herod, the Roman-appointed king of Judea.

A local farmer from Fasayil named Saad Nemer reported that the water being cut off had severely damaged his crops. The Israeli military body COGAT confirmed that the water was diverted without authorization and said it would look into the matter. The origins of the pool remain unclear, but excavations suggest that other ruins in the area date back to the first century BCE during Herod's reign.

Israeli rights group B Tselem claims that the drive to seize and claim heritage sites is part of a broader effort to strengthen the historical, cultural, and religious ties of Israel and the Jewish people to the West Bank. Israeli Heritage Minister Amihai Eliyahu announced that the pool will be drained in early October to allow archaeologists to conduct a full survey.

He also praised the original water diversion and announced that around $1 million could be allocated to rehabilitate the site, aiming to transform it into "the Garden of Eden." Palestinians have been experiencing water shortages and restrictions since Israel took control in 1967, and the situation has worsened due to settler attacks.

In 2026, approximately 160 water and sanitation structures were damaged, destroyed, or seized by settlers in Palestinian communities, according to a UN OCHA report. Settlers have also targeted shared water infrastructure, disrupting supply to all or large parts of several communities. Recently, 12 countries introduced trade sanctions on Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, citing a rapidly deteriorating situation marked by increasing settler attacks on Palestinians.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that there are around 737,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as of October 2024. Settler violence and expansion in the West Bank are undermining the possibility of a two-State solution, according to a joint statement from the countries.