West Bank Water War: How Israeli Settlers Are Seizing Palestinian Springs in 2025–2026

Abed Al Ebayat, a Fasayil resident, told ABC News that settlers left a massive heap of livestock feed at the threshold of the last Palestinian family in the area, and the stench of rotting dates fills the air because the seized spring has killed the crops .

The Broader Pattern: Water Infrastructure Attacks in 2025–2026

Documented incidents extend far beyond Fasayil. Key cases include:

Ein Samiya spring (northeast of Ramallah): Settlers took control of a spring and water distribution facility serving roughly 20 Palestinian villages. By 2026, the spring was being used by settlers for recreation while Palestinian herders could no longer access it. The water utility reported that the station, which supplies an estimated 100,000 Palestinians, had fallen victim to repeated vandalism .

Ein al-Auja (north of Jericho): A once-abundant spring and waterfall estimated to flow at thousands of cubic meters daily was diverted. The Bedouin community it supported — more than 100 families — was largely displaced. Haitham Rashaidh was among the last to leave as the ground dried up .

Wells near Jericho (August 2026): Israeli forces destroyed three main water wells serving Palestinian herders in one of the West Bank's driest regions. Residents described it as the worst escalation in a months-long water crisis .

Ancient reservoirs near Bethlehem (July 2026): Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich threatened to seize the historic Solomon's Pools water reservoirs, a move rights groups described as a significant escalation in the campaign for control of West Bank land and water .

Ein Rawabi spring (northeast of Jerusalem): In July 2026, Israeli settlers took control of this spring after vandalizing the site. The Jerusalem Governorate said the spring is the only water source for Bedouin communities in the area .

The Numbers Behind the Crisis

Stakeholder Perspectives

Palestinian Farmers and Residents

Across affected communities, Palestinians say the pattern of water seizures and violence is deliberately designed to make life untenable and force them off their land . In Qusra, south of Nablus, the UN's OHCHR reported in August 2026 that three Palestinian families — around 15 people — were confined to their homes "in a state of terror" after settlers cut their power and water . The siege began when settlers blocked the road, set up a tent in front yards, and refused to allow anyone to enter or leave .

Israeli Officials

The Israeli military acknowledged receiving numerous reports of Israeli civilians deliberately harming Palestinian water infrastructure. It recorded 120 "nationalistic crime" incidents in 2025 — a roughly 45% increase from 2024 . The military says it prosecutes offenders but faces difficulties gathering evidence and making arrests; rights groups say enforcement remains weak . In a notable development, 600 retired Israeli security officials signed a letter in July 2026 pleading for U.S. President Trump to pressure Israel's leaders to end what they called "settler terror" in the West Bank .

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a far-right coalition member, explicitly threatened in May 2026 to "erase" the Palestinian village of al-Khader near Bethlehem and seize ancient water reservoirs, calling them part of Israel's heritage . Rights groups cite his statements as official encouragement of the land-and-water seizure campaign.

The Civil Administration, the Israeli military body governing the West Bank, accepted settlers' claim that the Fasayil site was an archaeological area — a pretext Palestinians and rights groups say is routinely used for land seizure .

Rights Groups and International Bodies

Amnesty International (June 2026): Published a major report documenting at least 4,575 settler attacks on Palestinian communities between January 2023 and December 2025, including destruction of water tanks, solar panels, wells, and agricultural infrastructure. Amnesty described the campaign as "ethnic cleansing" of West Bank Palestinian communities .

B'Tselem (Israeli rights group): Documented the Fasayil fencing in detail, noting settlers blocked the main road and prevented 30 residents — including 16 minors — from reaching their farmland .

UN OCHA: Recorded and warned that demolitions and violence are "further undermining the ability of Palestinian communities to access sufficient water" . By August 2026, the UN documented more than 1,430 incidents involving Israeli settlers that resulted in casualties, property damage, or both in 2026 alone, affecting approximately 260 Palestinian communities .

EU: In its 2025 report on settlements (published August 2026), noted that settler violence reached record levels and the settlement population in the West Bank now exceeds 500,000 .

UN experts (June 2026): Issued a stark warning, stating that "violence is used as a calculated, targeted tool to deny Palestinians access to essential services, agricultural and grazing areas, with the ultimate aim of severing the people's connection to the land" .

A Systematic Campaign

The evidence shows a steep escalation in 2025–2026. Settler seizures of springs and destruction of wells have become a central tactic, frequently accompanied by official statements from far-right Israeli ministers that rights groups interpret as authorization. The Israeli military records rising incidents but has not prevented the trend. UN, EU, and Amnesty reports uniformly characterize it as a systematic campaign dispossessing Palestinian communities and accelerating de facto annexation.

As one Fasayil resident told ABC News: "Their aim is to force us out... but where can we possibly go?"