On a scorching summer afternoon in the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers gathered to swim in a pool fed by water diverted from Palestinian farmland, turning a vital local water source into a recreational attraction.
The pool sits near Fasayil, a Palestinian village in the fertile Jordan Valley where residents have relied on the spring for generations. Its water has supported crops, provided jobs and helped families cope with irregular supplies through Israeli-controlled networks.
For farmer Saad Nemer, the loss of access has come at a steep cost.
“Our water supply remains cut off to this day, depriving us of the water we depend on for our homes, our livelihoods and our agricultural land,” Nemer said.
In June, settlers seized Nemer’s irrigation pipeline and redirected the water to an ancient pool at a nearby archaeological site.
