Israeli Settlers Divert Palestinian Water to Herod's Pool

Israeli settlers diverted water from Palestinian-owned farms in the Jordan Valley to refill an ancient reservoir they named Herod's Pool. The diversion, which occurred in June 2026, severed a pipeline used by the Nemer family and the village of Fasayil for crops and community water. While the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and the Israeli military described the diversion as unauthorized and attempted to reconnect the pipeline, the system was subsequently sabotaged again.

Amichai Eliyahu, the Israeli Heritage Minister, praised the settlers and announced one million dollars in government funding to rehabilitate the site. This funding is part of a larger 166 million dollar allocation for over 100 Jewish heritage sites in the West Bank. Eliyahu suggested the government could expropriate the land and compensate the owners to ensure the site's development.

These events are part of a broader trend of settler activity in the West Bank. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that settlers damaged or seized approximately 160 water structures in 2026. The Government of the United Kingdom accused Israel of ignoring the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by settler terrorists. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded by attributing the violence to a handful of rioters.