September 13, 2011

TUBAS (Ma'an) -- Israeli soldiers on Tuesday demolished water infrastructure in the northern West Bank, locals and Palestinian Authority security officials said.


Palestinian farmer Muwaffaq Abdul-Raziq said troops demolished his well in Khirbet Atuf, near Tubas. The well cost him 750,000 shekels (around $202,000) to construct, he said, adding that he had obtained a license to build it.

The well was expected to pump enough water to irrigate around 700 dunums of farmland, Abdul-Raziq said. He appealed to the Palestinian Authority to protect farmers in the Jordan Valley from Israel.

Ahmad Assad, a local PA settlement affairs official, said the "aggression" against Palestinian properties and businesses was a "desperate attempt to thwart the Palestinian Authority's UN bid."

Meanwhile, Israeli forces destroyed two Palestinian wells on the outskirts of An-Nassaryia, a village northeast of Nablus, Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses said.

The wells were recently dug by Palestinians.

Israeli rights group B'Tselem said another two wells were destroyed at the same village last week.

A spokesman for the Israeli military, which controls the use of West Bank water resources, could not immediately confirm or deny the incident.

The army regularly destroys unauthorized Palestinian construction in areas under Israel's rule.

AFP contributed to this report.