“Palestinians breaking water agreement”

The Palestinians have admitted to 250 illegal wells in the West Bank.

A senior Israel water economy source is accusing the Palestinians of gross and continued violations of the water agreement between the two sides.

Under the water agreement, every well dug in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank requires the consent of the joint Israeli-Palestinian water commission. The source asserts that Palestinians in the West Bank drill many illegal wells. According to the source, the Palestinians themselves admit to 250 illegal wells, but the real number is much higher.

Water economy sources in Israel fear that the water economy in the West Bank will deteriorate to the state in the Gaza Strip. Since Israel withdrew in 1994, 2,500 illegal wells have been dug without any control in the Gaza Strip, salinating the aquifer, and rendering it useless.

Israel also uses the mountain aquifer in the West Bank, the drainage area of which includes Israel. Any drilling for water in this aquifer reduces the flow to Israel.

The source stated that the Palestinians are also illegally drawing off water from water pipes, without any interference from Palestinian security forces and water authorities, thereby aggravating the water shortage in their communities.

Israel accuses the Palestinian Authority to failing to meet its obligations to develop a sewage system, and of allowing sewage to flow into rivers in Israeli territory.

The source further stated that the Palestinians had no interest in addressing the problem, even though the donor countries had offered $260 million for sewage treatment plans.

The Palestinians claim that the water agreement does not meet their minimum requirements, and they are therefore forced to violate it in order to supply residents with drinking water. Israel says that the Palestinians must first observe the signed agreement, before demanding revisions.

Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on April 8, 2004

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