Israel is denying Palestinians access to even the basic minimum of clean, safe water, Amnesty International says.
In a report, the human rights group says Israeli water restrictions discriminate against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
It says that in Gaza, Israel's blockade has pushed the already ailing water and sewage system to "crisis point".
Israel says the report is flawed and the Palestinians get more water than was agreed under the 1990s peace deal.
'Basic need'
In the 112-page report, Amnesty says that on average Palestinian daily water consumption reaches 70 litres a day, compared with 300 litres for the Israelis.
Israel must end its discriminatory policies, immediately lift all the restrictions it imposes on Palestinians' access to water
Donatella Rovera
Amnesty International
Gaza thirsts as sewage crisis mounts
Water shortages plague West Bank
It says that some Palestinians barely get 20 litres a day - the minimum recommended even in humanitarian emergencies.
While Israeli settlers in the West Bank enjoy lush gardens and swimming pools, Amnesty describes a series of Israeli measures it says are discriminating against Palestinians:
Israel has "entirely appropriated the Palestinians' share of the Jordan river" and uses 80% of a key shared aquifer
West Bank Palestinians are not allowed to drill wells without Israeli permits, which are "often impossible" to obtain
Rainwater harvesting cisterns are "often destroyed by the Israeli army"
Israeli soldiers confiscated a water tanker from villagers who were trying to remain in land Israel had declared a "closed military area"
An unnamed Israeli soldier says rooftop Palestinian household water tanks are "good for target practice"
Much of the land cut off by the West Bank barrier is land with good access to a major aquifer
Israeli military operations have damaged Palestinian water infrastructure, including $6m worth during the Cast Lead operation in Gaza last winter
The Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza has "exacerbated what was already a dire situation" by denying many building materials needed for water and sewage projects.
The report also noted that the Palestinian water authorities have been criticised for bad management, quoting one audit that described the sector as in "total chaos".
"Water is a basic need and a right, but for many Palestinians obtaining even poor-quality, subsistence-level quantities of water has become a luxury that they can barely afford," Amnesty's Donatella Rovera said.
"Israel must end its discriminatory policies, immediately lift all the restrictions it imposes on Palestinians' access to water."
'Fair share'
Ms Rovera also urged Israel to "take responsibility for addressing the problems it created by allowing Palestinians a fair share of the shared water resources".
Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said "the idea that we're taking water away from someone else is simply preposterous".
He argued that Israeli fresh water use per capita had gone down since 1967 due to efficiency and new technologies, while the Palestinians' use had increased and more than a third of their water was wasted.
If there were allegations of military wrongdoing, those would be investigated, he said.
He also rejected the claim that Israel was preventing Palestinians from drilling for water, saying Israel had approved 82 such projects but the Palestinians had only implemented 26 of them.
"They have received billions of dollars in international aid over the last decade and a half, why have they not invested that in their own water infrastructure>?" he asked.
The report also criticised the Oslo Accords, which the Palestinians agreed to in 1993.
It said that under them, the Palestinians gained the responsibility for managing an "insufficient" water supply and maintaining "long neglected" water infrastructure.
Also, the deal left the Palestinians paying Israel for half of the domestic water used in the West Bank, despite the fact it is extracted from the shared aquifer.
Mr Regev said Israel provides the Palestinians with more water than it was required to under the accord.
for god sake, WATER
and they will surprise if Hamas lunched rockets !!!????
If this is true, it is wrong. Food and water shouldn;t be withheld from non combatants.
The problem is trying to sort out who is, and who isn't.
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The report also criticised the Oslo Accords, which the Palestinians agreed to in 1993.
It said that under them, the Palestinians gained the responsibility for managing an "insufficient" water supply and maintaining "long neglected" water infrastructure.
Also, the deal left the Palestinians paying Israel for half of the domestic water used in the West Bank, despite the fact it is extracted from the shared aquifer.
Mr Regev said Israel provides the Palestinians with more water than it was required to under the accord.
for god sake, WATER
and they will surprise if Hamas lunched rockets !!!????
Anyone who thinks that Hamas launching rockets is going to solve the water problem must be on some kind of drugs. It would only make matters worse. Seems to me that the Palestinians need to come to the table to renegotiate the 1993 Oslo accords.
The only way to solve these problems is for the Palestinians to have their own sovereign state, and that is unlikely to happen while Hamas controls Gaza.
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Let me get this straight. We read a nice long article about how big bad Israel is "withholding" water from poor Palestine and then we round it off with
"and they will surprise if Hamas lunched rockets !!!????"
Yeah, because rocket attacks are well known to produce water. Also, I have heard reports of suicide bombers spontaneously generating baked goods. It is unfortunate that the overwhelming majority of people have no idea just how complicated the situation "over there" is, and oversimplification of the situation through posts like the one above don't help the problem. This is something that has been going on for so long, the current combatants/victims/aggressors are not even fighting the same war that started back in 1948. This has been going on long enough now that both sides are fighting just out of habit and a retaliatory nature.
I was visiting Israel back in December of '08 when Hamas began shelling out of the Gaza region and I feel that I can accurately predict what would happen if/when Hamas decides to fire rockets into Israel again.
Will Israel be surprised? No.
Israel will do what it has always done. They will get pissed, have the international community request that they do nothing, and then they will roll through and kick some Hamas ass. And at the end, Israel will look like they overreacted and everyone will forget that they were reacting to an undeniable threat from a very real hostile force.
Israel will do what it has always done. They will get pissed, have the international community request that they do nothing, and then they will roll through and kick some Hamas ass. And at the end, Israel will look like they overreacted and everyone will forget that they were reacting to an undeniable threat from a very real hostile force.
I for one will not over react and would fully support Israel in this situation (and I am not even Jewish).
IMO, they have been getting stepped on for decades and think they should stand up and fight for what is right. Hopefully they will, and put Hamas back their place.
Go with PI heads and quit watching The Fast and the Furious. (thanks 2 IhaveadopeGT)
Remember, it is almost impossible for anyone, myself included, to diagnose a problem over the internet without seeing the car. My advice is simply that, advice based on years of experience. I don't want you or anyone taking my word as gospel. I am trying to give some direction as to what I think may be happening.
I fully agree that Hamas needs to be taken on. But basic necessities should not be withheld from non-combatants.
But, when dealing with terrorists, that is a very hard line to define. I'm glad this is their issue to deal with, not mine.
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How can the Palistinians not have water? They have the entire Medditerrainian sea!
i think they are not smart like you
Quote:
Originally Posted by rj8806
I for one will not over react and would fully support Israel in
IMO, they have been getting stepped on for decades and think they should stand up and fight for what is right. Hopefully they will, and put Hamas back their place.
you are right they stepped by the Europeans, why we have to pay back .... we did not killed jews, Europeans did.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JEB
I fully agree that Hamas needs to be taken on. But basic necessities should not be withheld from non-combatants.
But, when dealing with terrorists, that is a very hard line to define. I'm glad this is their issue to deal with, not mine.
i am not with what Hamas doing, but i understand that they are a result of Israeli occupation, and regarding the Israel, i don't mind as a Palestinian if the jew will have there own state, but not in this way, you may don't know that if this state will never been that mean the quran is wrong,
please answer me if some buddy toke your home by force and sent you to live in camps like animals, what you will do?????
The Palestinians need to have their own state, but I don't agree with their (Hamas) tactics in trying to achieve this.
During the American Revolution, the colonists weren't striking the families of the British. They attacked the British Army, and Navy.
I don't think launching random missiles into civilian areas and bombing pizzarias and dance halls is a proper way to win the independance of Palestine.
Although I don't agree with it, I could see Hamas hitting government targets, but I cannot agree with their current methods.
Personally, I think the Israelis would be more than happy to find a way to handle this through diplomacy. That would require Hamas attacks to cease though.
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I Hate GM, deal with it.
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2005 GT Screaming Yellow: SLP Loudmouths
Ibanez guitars, S&W revolvers, Glock Semi's
Republican write in Presidential Candidate 2012
The Palestinians need to have their own state, but I don't agree with their (Hamas) tactics in trying to achieve this.
During the American Revolution, the colonists weren't striking the families of the British. They attacked the British Army, and Navy.
I don't think launching random missiles into civilian areas and bombing pizzarias and dance halls is a proper way to win the independance of Palestine.
Although I don't agree with it, I could see Hamas hitting government targets, but I cannot agree with their current methods.
Personally, I think the Israelis would be more than happy to find a way to handle this through diplomacy. That would require Hamas attacks to cease though.
i cant agree with you more, but i disagreeing with you when you said the Palestinians must have there own state.
well, many Palestinians believe they must have there own state, i don't believe that will be a solution, we have to have one state where all live together Israelis and Palestinians, like before, you know that Palestinians come from different religions (Christians, Muslims and jew)
you have to solve the conflict from the root once and forever, you have more than 7 millions Palestinian living out side Palestine, they have to come back to there homes,by the way the peace process stooped by Israel because of that, they don't wont to allow people to come back, and thats why i cant visit my family home which is occupied by Israelis, the only thing i can do is to see my country from the border.
well, many Palestinians believe they must have there own state, i don't believe that will be a solution, we have to have one state where all live together Israelis and Palestinians, like before, you know that Palestinians come from different religions (Christians, Muslims and jew)
you have to solve the conflict from the root once and forever, you have more than 7 millions Palestinian living out side Palestine, they have to come back to there homes,by the way the peace process stooped by Israel because of that, they don't wont to allow people to come back, and thats why i cant visit my family home which is occupied by Israelis, the only thing i can do is to see my country from the border.
regards
It will never happen. What you are saying, effectively, is that you want to eliminate the state of Israel. Because of their large numbers, the Palestinians would take control and maybe let the jews continue to live there in peace, but probably not.
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While we're at it, let's lock the KKK and Black Panthers in a huge cage and let's see what happens there...
The results would be very similar. Only an idiot could be oblvious to that end. Unless of course you want both sides to completely destroy each other.
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Oh yeah... there is MUCH more to the story, and of course not all stats reported are agreed upon. Folks should feel free to research this issue more on their own though before coming to any real conclusion as to who is "wrong" or the "bad guy" in all this.
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The shackles of opression and dependence are most easily slipped on with a smile and kind words of hope.
Report: Palestinians denied water 
(thanks 2 IhaveadopeGT)
