*Israeli Military Demolishes Water Wells and Cisterns in the hilly and
arid South Hebron Hills.*

SOUTH HEBRON HILLS, Occupied West Bank – The Israeli military demolished three
water cisterns and two wells in the Khashem Ad Daraj - Hathaleen region on
Tuesday, 14th December. The military gave no reason for the destruction of the
wells and cisterns.

The demolitions follow a pattern of destruction of Palestinian property by the
Israeli military in Area C, as defined by the Oslo Accords.

Rather than delivering the demolition orders to the residents of the villages in
the area, the Israeli army instead left the orders under a stone two days
earlier.

The demolished cisterns and wells supplied drinking water to the
villagers as well as their sheep and goats. The wells were up to 300
meters deep and over 70 years old, pre-dating the 1967 occupation of the
Palestinian Territories. The Israeli military claims that it does not destroy
structures created before 1967.

The villages are in the southern West Bank, less than 15 km from the
Dead Sea, and are approximately 10 km east of At-Tuwani and 26 km
south-east of Hebron/Al-Khalil. This hilly region is arid, and receives an
average yearly rainfall of between 150 – 250 mm ^^2

Shepherding of sheep & goats is the primary source of food and income
for the villages in this area. The destruction of the water wells &
cisterns directly impacts their livelihood.


1 United Nations - OCHA,

2 Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem & United Nations World Food
Programme. February 2010 Report