Israeli forces notified Palestinians living near the village of Duma in the northern occupied West Bank district of Nablus on Tuesday that their sole water pipeline servicing the area’s residents was slated for removal, as Israeli authorities have said the pipeline is “illegal.”

Palestinian official, Ghassan Daghlas, said that the pipeline is the sole water source for the area, meeting the needs of 14 families in the area who have no other access to water.

A spokesperson for COGAT, the Israeli agency responsible for implementing Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territory, told Ma’an that the pipe was installed in the area as “part of an attempt to build an illegal residential complex at an archaeological site where construction is prohibited.”

Five-year-old boy dies from water pollution after swimming at Gaza beach https://t.co/HtKFxzXz0t#Palestine

— تريسي Tracy (@BSfromPS) August 28, 2017

“It should be emphasized that even though a warning was given a year ago to the residents of the area, they tried to renew them illegally,” the spokesperson added.

Rights groups have long reported that Israel’s control of water resources in the occupied West Bank has led to routine water shortages in Palestinian communities.

It has often been pointed out that Israel’s restrictions in the Palestinian territory force Palestinians to buy water directly from Israel, while preventing Palestinians from constructing their own wells or other projects to enhance water access.

The Independent: 96% of Gaza’s water supply is unsafe https://t.co/pKnkpTS4uE via @palinfoen #Palestine pic.twitter.com/fod108l7IG

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Most of the Palestinian territory’s land reserves are located in Area C – the more than 60 percent of the West Bank under full Israeli military control – where any Palestinian development is mostly prohibited by Israel. In addition, other restrictions, such as barring Palestinians from drilling wells deeper than 140 metres, prevents Palestinians from adequately accessing natural water sources.

As a result of these restrictions, many Palestinian villages in Area C and B – where Israel retains control over security matters – are forced to buy water from Israel’s national Mekorot water company.

Israelis, including settlers, have access to 300 liters of water per day, according to water rights NGO coalition EWASH, while the West Bank average is around 70 liters, well below the World Health Organization’s recommended minimum of 100 liters per day for basic sanitation, hygiene and drinking.

#MEMO Israel reducing water supply to Palestinians in Jordan Valley https://t.co/z4dEGLL3Ps #Palestine

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According to Amnesty International, nearly 200,000 Palestinians in the West Bank do not have access to running water.

(Ma’an, PC, Social Media)