Untreated wastewater discharged by Settlements onto crops destroys vegetation in Qaryout

Qaryout is a Palestinian village located 26 kilometers southeast of the Nablus Governorate in the northern West Bank which lies on 22630 dunums.

However, it is caught up in a cobweb of illegal Israeli settlements and outposts which has collectively seized a total of 14,000 dunums about 65% of Qaryout. The cobweb of illegal settlements dates back to 1978 when Shilo settlement was established, (2)

followed by Eli settlement that was established in 1986 over a span of 9 hills to the west of Qaryout, as well as Shvut Rachel settlement in 1993. In addition to 5 other settlement outposts; Hayovel, Givat Harel, Kida, Adei Ad, and Heyarim. (3)

Qaryout is among many Palestinian villages subjected to continuous systematic attacks by Israeli settlers, discharging untreated wastewater onto crops is the most prevailing form. (4)

On July 10, 2020 Eli settlement discharged untreated wastewater onto crops thus destroying over 50 fruit bearing olive trees estimated at over 5 decades old. Additionally, (5)

the discharged untreated wastewater flooded various farm lands and ended up pooling into puddles creating health hazards for Palestinians.
Continued discharge of untreated wastewater onto crops creates a hard to contain environmental catastrophe, as it destroys vegetation (6)

and easily spreads over hundreds of dunums in the village thus damaging various crops.

It is just one of many forms of terror attacks assailed against the citizens and farmers or Qaryout which include; opening fire at unarmed citizens, torching trees, arson of crops, (7)

cutting down trees, tree stump removal, vandalism of homes and assets, preventing Palestinians the right to access to their land. In addition to seizure of thousands of dunums. (8)

Such systematic acts of terrorism and vandalism practiced by illegal settlers backed with the support of Israeli Army against Palestinians mainly serves the Israeli masterplan of settlement expansion in the West Bank. (9)

Making life unbearable for Palestinians in Qaryout is part of the Israeli government’s plan to merge the three settlements surrounding the village into one big compound that stretches to Ariel, the second biggest settlement in the West Bank, all the way down to the Jordan Valley