Israeli settlers from the illegal Havat Yair settlement Tuesday destroyed a water well used by Palestinian farmers in Deir Istiya town to the west of Salfit for irrigation purposes according to local sources.
Havat Yair settlement is one of the eight Israeli settlements illegally established on the hills overlooking Wadi Qana.
The local farmer Ahmed Khalil told the PIC reporter that Israeli settlers seek to forcibly displace the farmers from their lands and to take control over the Wadi.
In contrast to the stringent enforcement measures imposed on Palestinian farmers Israeli authorities turn a blind eye to illegal activities by settlers in the nature reserve such as massive construction building roads and discharging wastewater into the Wadi.
According to B’Tselem the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories “As the occupying force Israel must protect the Palestinians in the West Bank. However the Israeli authorities neglect to fulfill this responsibility and do not do enough to prevent Israeli civilians from attacking Palestinians their property and their lands.”
“The undeclared policy of the Israeli authorities in response to these attacks is lenient and conciliatory. Perpetrators are rarely tried and many cases are not investigated at all or are closed with no operative conclusions.”
