Palestine Chronicle | August 6, 2020
Israeli occupation forces today destroyed irrigation ponds in the al-Jiftlik village, located near Jericho in the Jordan Valley, said a local municipal source.
Mayor of al-Jiftlik, Ahmad Abu Ghanem, said the Israeli occupation destroyed three ponds that were used to irrigate 70 dunums of village land, filling them with debris to discontinue their use.
Yesterday, Israeli forces uprooted and seized some 100 palm trees in the village.
Israel has severely restricted Palestinian access to water in the area, particularly the 23 underground wells used for agriculture. Local water springs are susceptible to dryness and depletion as a result of Israel’s control over water.
The Israeli water company, Mekorot, has depleted the wells and has been granted a monopoly on the drilling, restoration, distribution and selling of Palestinian water. In contrast, Palestinians have been forbidden from constructing new wells or restoring existing ones.