80k Palestinians left without drinking water

Thousands of Palestinians have been without clean water in the occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem) for more than 60 days, Press TV reports.

According to the report, 80,000 residents in the region have been denied access to running water by Israeli authorities.

The report says that despite calls by Palestinian residents and human rights groups for providing residents in the region with running water, the Israeli water company, Gihon, denies water to Palestinian areas, including Shuafat Refugee Camp, Ras Khamis, Ras Sh’hadeh and Dahiyat As-Salam.

“The water comes only once a week here and it is not good. Israel sends only a small amount of water,” Nutfah Rajah, a resident of Shuafat Refugee Camp, told Press TV.

Officials say the water infrastructure in those areas can support only 15,000 people. Human rights organizations have handed a petition to the Israeli High Court to protest Tel Aviv’s negligence in the matter.

Residents, who are suffering from the lack of water, say that the water shortage is part of Israel’s plans to force them to leave the region.

“This is part of Israel’s policy to make life unbearable in order to displace Palestinians from the camps,” said Jamin Asaadik, another resident of Shuafat camp.

In April 2013, Palestinian media reported that Israeli authorities had totally halted the water flow to 10 villages located northwest of al-Quds.