Israel controls 90% of Palestinian Water Resources. Will Palestinians’ access to water get better due to upcoming meetings?

The Oslo process in 1995 established a joint Israeli-Palestinian Water Committee which sounded good on paper if the small print was ignored. In practice it kept control of West Bank water resources in Israel’s hands by giving it a veto over how water was to be used and distributed.  Having been repeatedly blocked in its requests for permits to build its water infrastructure as Israeli settlements expanded, the Palestinian Water Authority suspended its participation in the Committee in 2010.  

But now its meetings are being resumed.  Why now?  Apparently the US and other countries have pushed for this resumption, which could mean that in the months to come there will be at least a token increase in the amount of water Palestinians have access to.  A likely US motive?  To make the Occupation more sustainable.  Read more:

New chapter begins in Israel-Palestine water dispute

Image by Hugo Goodridge/Al-Monitor

2nd International Gathering of Social Movements on Water--June 8-11

What is the 2nd International Gathering of Social Movements on Water?

It is a gathering of water warriors, i.e., people directly impacted by water and sanitation problems such as cleanliness, safety, accessibility and affordability. Plus allies and advocates from across the U.S. and internationally who work on these human rights issues, especially in low income communities.

Please help spread the word!

Exploring the Palestinian Water Crisis: History, Laws, & Reparations

"What role, if any, do international humanitarian law and international water law have for protecting Palestinian human rights, and the rights of victims of armed conflict and occupation more broadly when it comes to water?"

 "The Palestinian water crisis is both a symptom of the Israeli occupation, and a tool used to maintain it."

The politics of water access under occupation: is international law sufficient?

The Water Crisis in Gaza Worsens

"A report published by Oxfam International said, 'Palestinians in Gaza remember a time when almost everyone could drink clean water from the tap. Now less than 4% of fresh water is drinkable and the surrounding sea is polluted by sewage. Yet the international community is failing to do enough to protect the health and dignity of almost 2mn people who have nowhere else to go.'

The report added Gaza’s water and sanitation crisis is escalating dangerously, with clean water increasingly scarce and almost a third of households not connected to a sanitation system.

Last week’s shutdown of Gaza’s only functioning power plant creates even more urgency, with the water utility warning that it does not have the fuel to run water and sanitation facilities when the power is off.
Water pollution is among the factors causing a dramatic increase in kidney problems in the Gaza Strip, Dr Abdallah al-Kishawi said, with a 13-14% increase every year in the number of patients admitted with kidney problems to Gaza City’s Shifa Hospital.

Israel’s blockade of Gaza severely limits materials from entering, making it incredibly difficult to develop water and sanitation infrastructure to meet the needs of a growing population."

Water scarcity grips Gaza