Palestine's water

Some people claim Israel is stealing the Palestinian water. Bull!

Does Israel use "Palestinian" water?

Israel's water war

There was a research publication done by Palestinian water authorities - Palestinian, not Israeli - where the water situation was looked at from the ecological point of view. Because of how the water flows, overuse of the Palestinian aquifer - done by Palestinians themselves - is making the water salt. It's not Israel's fault, it's Palestinians' own fault. Palestinians drill wells without permission, without any consideration to these issues - in fact, they don't even care.
Also, it is insane to demand water from West Bank to Gaza instead of using the desalination plants. Nevertheless, Palestinians in Gaza have bombed the desalination plants and killed the engineers responsible for the building and maintaining these plants.

Gaza is dumping sewage into the sea

Gaza sewage nightmare

U.S. halts Gaza projects over attack

U.S. Aid Sanctions Turn Taps Off Critical Palestinian Water, Wastewater Projects

"Other major donors have continued their smaller-scale infrastructure projects. But it is the U.S. the Palestinians depend on for water and sewage treatment, says Naim El-Mani, senior technical adviser at the Palestinian Water Authority.

More than 80 percent of communities in the West Bank aren't hooked up to a sewer network, and much of their waste ends up in riverbeds, some of it running into Israel, water experts said."

"In Gaza, the revised U.S. aid policy means nearly 3,000 illegally drilled wells are depleting Gaza's Coastal Aquifer and letting in seawater, Barghouti says."

"To save the aquifer, USAID was going to build a desalination plant and a pipeline to deliver the water to Gaza, but those plans were suspended after three U.S. government contractors were killed by unidentified assailants in October 2003."

Desalination plant opens in Ashkelon

Over the years, Israelis have been involved in establishing desalination plants elsewhere around the globe, in places like Cyprus, the US and China. Now Israelis, too, will benefit from the wonders of desalination technology. Those benefits may soon also be offered to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. "We expect to be up to full production of 100 million cubic meters of water a year by the end of the year," says plant engineer Gustavo Kronenberg. "Once we reach the plant's full capacity of 120 million cubic meters a year, we'll be able to provide the Palestinian Authority with 20 million cubic meters a year. We have held talks with the Palestinians and they have expressed great interest."

Freshwater shortage and health problems in Gaza

Uri Schor, spokesperson for the Israeli Water Commission, said Gazans had pumped too much water out of the Gaza aquifer, with the result that sea water had seeped in and turned the fresh water salty.

"We have offered them 20 million cubic metres a year of water from our Ashkelon desalination plant. The Palestinian water people think it's a good offer but the Palestinian politicians don't want it"

Qassam lands south of Ashkelon

"Popular Resistance Committees spokesman Mohammed Abdel Al said his organization is working to improve the rockets.

“We are well aware of the close proximity of sensitive civilian (desalination plant) and military facilities to Sderot, Ashkelon and Ashdod; these sites are targeted by the organization’s improved rockets, and those launched by the other resistance groups."