[News] The Water War in Al-Auja: How Illegal Settlers are Strangling Jericho’s Lifeline

[Anti-Imperialist News]

palestinechronicle.com
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The Water War in Al-Auja: How Illegal Settlers are Strangling Jericho’s
LifelineDecember 22, 2025
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The Wadi Al-Auja spring near Jericho. (Photo: بدارين, via Wikimedia
Commons)

*By Fayha Shalash – Ramallah
<https://www.palestinechronicle.com/writers/fahya-shalash>*

As illegal Israeli Jewish settlers seize control of the Al-Auja spring near
Jericho, Palestinians face a deepening “water war” that threatens
livelihoods, agriculture, and their continued presence in the Jordan Valley.

For 45 years, Naif Ghawanmeh has lived in the Al-Auja area near Jericho in
the occupied West Bank. Yet the past few months have been the most
difficult he and his family have ever endured, as settler attacks have
intensified and water has been systematically stolen from the area’s most
vital resource: the Al-Auja spring.

Al-Auja is one of the most prominent natural springs in Jericho and the
Jordan Valley. Since ancient times, it has served as a critical source of
water for the region.

The spring is known for its seasonal abundance, with water flow increasing
during the winter and spring months. This seasonal cycle has long supported
the irrigation of vast surrounding agricultural lands, particularly date
palm groves and vegetable farms.

Historically, Al-Auja played a central role in Palestinian life, enabling
the development of agricultural communities and sustaining the economic and
environmental balance of the Jordan Valley.

In recent years, however, the spring has come under repeated attack by
illegal Israeli Jewish settlers. These attacks have included the seizure of
land surrounding the spring, restrictions on Palestinian access, and the
establishment of settlements and outposts along its course.

As a result, the amount of water available to Palestinian farmers has
sharply declined, undermining agricultural activity—the primary livelihood
for residents of the area.

The seizure of Al-Auja constitutes a clear violation of Palestinian water
rights and threatens the long-term sustainability of a natural resource
that has sustained the Jordan Valley for decades.

*Unrelenting Attacks*

Ghawanmeh is one of approximately 700 Palestinians, 120 families, living in
the Al-Auja Waterfall area, all of whom face an ongoing, systematic
campaign of displacement.

He explained that settler attacks have continued for many years, initially
aimed at preventing Palestinians from grazing their livestock. Over the
past two years, however—coinciding with Israel’s war on Gaza—these attacks
have increased by more than 200 percent and now affect every aspect of
daily life.

“Illegal settlers have established two new outposts near us, and their
attacks have intensified,” Ghawanmeh told the Palestine Chronicle. “For the
past year and seven months, we have been unable to take our livestock out
to pasture because of the severity of the violence.”

For nearly a year, illegal Israeli Jewish settlers have barred Palestinians
from approaching the Al-Auja spring after taking control of it. They have
also diverted and cut off the water flow, effectively depriving local
residents of access altogether.

The Al-Auja waterfall once sustained the community by irrigating crops and
watering livestock. It was also a major recreational site for West Bank
residents, who are otherwise denied access to the Mediterranean Sea.

“We used the water from Al-Auja for everything—washing, drinking, and
caring for our animals,” Ghawanmeh said. “Now, even though we live beside
the spring, we are forced to buy water from Jericho. One tank costs 250
shekels (around $78) and barely lasts two weeks.”

In addition to denying Palestinians access to the spring, settlers have
repeatedly attacked water tanks purchased by residents. Anyone who attempts
to intervene is arrested by the Israeli army.

Several months ago, more than 200 settlers, under the protection of Israeli
soldiers and police, stormed the area and stole 1,500 sheep—an act widely
seen as part of an effort to force Palestinians to permanently leave so the
land can be seized.

“For ten years, we have endured settler violence,” Ghawanmeh told us. “They
vandalize our vehicles and assault us, while the Israeli army arrests us
for the smallest pretexts.”

*The Water War*

During a recent visit to the Al-Auja spring that sparked widespread
outrage, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich—known for his extreme
right-wing positions—was seen greeting illegal Israeli Jewish settlers and
praising their takeover of land and water resources in the area.

He described the situation as “the results of your wonderful work,” a
statement Palestinians viewed as both provocative and a clear signal of
official Israeli support for the seizure of Palestinian resources rather
than their protection.

For Palestinians, Smotrich’s remarks amount to explicit political backing
for expanding settler control and displacing local communities. The visit
deepened fears of losing homes, farmland, and livelihoods throughout the
Jordan Valley.

Ghawanmeh said the visit was particularly demoralizing, highlighting the
absence of support from the Palestinian Authority while Israeli settlers
receive full backing from their government.

According to a report by the National Bureau for Defending the Land and
Resisting Settlements, Israel controls more than 84 percent of Palestinian
water resources in the West Bank and continues to escalate efforts to seize
remaining water sources, creating severe shortages across Palestinian
cities and villages.

The report states that Israel has demolished at least 500 water-harvesting
wells in the West Bank. Approximately 52 percent of Palestinian water
resources are exploited for Israeli use, while around 32 percent are
diverted to settlements—leaving Palestinians with just 16 percent of their
own water supply.

Abdul Nasser Makki, a specialist in settlement and land affairs, described
the Al-Auja waterfall area as a strategically vital agricultural zone.

“Thousands of visitors once came to Al-Auja, revitalizing the area and
reinforcing its Palestinian identity,” Makki told the Palestine Chronicle.
“Seizing it means confiscating hundreds of dunams of land, both within the
site itself and across surrounding areas.”

Makki explained that illegal Israeli Jewish settlers now face virtually no
deterrence—a trend that accelerated after Israel’s far-right government
took office in 2022, alongside US policies that effectively gave settlers
the green light to annex Area C, which makes up more than 64 percent of the
West Bank.

“The Al-Auja waterfall is a crucial water source for local residents and
the hundreds of dunams they cultivate,” he said. “Controlling the waterfall
means controlling the crops.”

Al-Auja is just one of many water sources in the Jordan Valley that have
been seized to serve 39 agricultural settlements and dozens of kibbutzim,
as part of a broader strategy to dominate what remains of Palestinian water
resources.

“This means Palestinian agriculture will continue to decline,” Makki
concluded, “and Palestinians will become entirely dependent on Israeli
agriculture.”

*(The Palestine Chronicle)*


*– Fayha’** Shalash is a Ramallah-based Palestinian journalist. She
graduated from Birzeit University in 2008 and she has been working as a
reporter and broadcaster ever since. Her articles appeared in several
online publications. She contributed this article to The Palestine
Chronicle.*
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