Ramallah: Israeli occupation forces and colonists committed 685 environmental violations in the West Bank during 2025, targeting natural resources and significantly impacting water, agricultural land, biodiversity, and livestock.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the Environment Quality Authority's annual report revealed that these violations were documented between January 1 and December 31, 2025. The report claims that these actions are part of an ongoing Israeli policy aimed at depleting Palestinian natural resources and imposing an altered environmental and economic reality, violating international humanitarian law and relevant international conventions.
The report detailed that vital environmental sectors, particularly water resources, were heavily targeted. Numerous attacks were recorded on wells and water networks, depriving thousands of residents of access to safe water, consequently affecting agriculture and food security. Additionally, agricultural land and vegetation cover suffered from land leveling, burning, and the uprooting of thousands of trees, notably olive trees. The establishment of colonial roads and outposts further damaged biodiversity and undermined farmers' livelihoods.
The report also highlighted numerous attacks on livestock, including the destruction of animal shelters, theft and killing of animals, and restrictions on grazing area access, which disrupted environmental balance and rural livelihoods. Furthermore, the report pointed out deliberate sewage pollution, with untreated wastewater from settlements discharged into Palestinian valleys and agricultural lands. This contaminated soil and groundwater, creating significant public health hazards, particularly in areas such as Qalqiliya, Salfit, Bethlehem, Hebron, and Jericho.
The Environment Quality Authority emphasized that these violations are part of a systematic policy linked to colonial expansion, aiming to deplete Palestinian natural resources in the occupied Palestinian Territory. The Authority described these actions as a full-fledged environmental crime and a blatant infringement of the Palestinian people's right to sovereignty over their natural resources and a safe and healthy environment, a right enshrined under international law and United Nations resolutions.
In light of these findings, the Authority called on the international community and human rights and environmental institutions to fulfill their legal and moral obligations. They urged action to halt these violations, hold the occupation state accountable for environmental crimes against the Palestinian environment, and ensure international protection for natural resources in the occupied Palestinian Territory.
