UN Report: Israel Claims Ownership of Rainwater in West Bank, Restricting Palestinian Access

Rainwater Harvesting Declared Illegal for Palestinians

A new United Nations report has drawn international attention to Israel’s longstanding policy of claiming ownership over rainwater in the occupied West Bank, effectively prohibiting Palestinians from collecting it for domestic or agricultural use. The Israeli military considers rainfall a national resource under its control, turning what has been a natural and traditional source of sustenance into restricted property.

According to the report, Palestinian communities who attempt to harvest rainwater through cisterns, wells, or storage tanks risk confiscation, fines, or demolition orders by Israeli authorities. Meanwhile, Israeli settlers living in West Bank settlements — which are deemed illegal under international law — not only drill for groundwater but also have access to abundant water for agriculture, gardens, and even private swimming pools.

Historical Background of the Water Dispute

The roots of this controversy trace back to the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War, during which Israel seized control of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem. Shortly thereafter, military orders were issued by Israel that placed all water resources under the control of the military administrator. That included not only underground aquifers but also rainfall. Traditional Palestinian practices of building cisterns to capture rain from rooftops or valleys were brought under regulation or outright prohibition.

For decades, Palestinians have argued that such policies violate international law, particularly provisions under the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit an occupying power from expropriating natural resources for its own benefit. Israel, however, has maintained that it has legal authority over water management in the territories as part of security and infrastructural control.

The Oslo Accords of the 1990s temporarily raised hopes of addressing water sharing by creating a Joint Water Committee between Israelis and Palestinians. Yet critics argue the arrangement effectively cemented Israeli dominance over water allocation, ensuring that Palestinians remained subordinate in decision-making. With most rainwater still registered as Israeli state property, Palestinians continue to face chronic shortages.

Current Water Availability in the West Bank

The UN report estimated that over 620,000 Palestinians in the West Bank have inadequate access to piped water. Many communities experience long gaps between water deliveries, forcing families to buy trucked water at two to four times the regular cost. Agriculture, the traditional economic backbone of many West Bank villages, has been particularly hard-hit. Farmers report abandoning once-productive fields because they cannot afford the water needed for irrigation.

In sharp contrast, Israeli settlements, housing approximately 700,000 settlers, are outfitted with modern water networks supplied by Israel’s national water company. Images of lush settlement lawns and swimming pools juxtaposed with nearby Palestinian villages reliant on water tanks spotlight the deep inequality in distribution.

The Crisis in Gaza: Contaminated Water and Blockade

The situation in the Gaza Strip presents an even grimmer picture. With borders under strict Israeli blockade since 2007, Gaza’s water system has been cut off from adequate supply and maintenance materials. As a result, 95 percent of Gaza’s water is now deemed unfit for human consumption, contaminated either by seawater intrusion into the coastal aquifer or pollution from untreated sewage and agricultural runoff.

Children and vulnerable populations are most affected, with high rates of kidney disease, diarrhea, and malnutrition tied directly to poor water quality. Aid agencies warn that without outside intervention, Gaza may soon be facing an irreversible ecological collapse.

Regional Comparisons in Water Scarcity

Water scarcity is not unique to Israel and the Palestinian territories. The broader Middle East is among the most water-stressed regions in the world. Countries like Jordan, Syria, and Yemen also struggle with dwindling rainfall, overuse of aquifers, and climate change-driven droughts. Yet the Palestinian case stands apart because of the overlay of occupation and political restrictions.

Jordan, for example, has developed a cooperative water-sharing agreement with Israel, exchanging desalinated water for solar energy in a more balanced partnership. Palestinian leaders argue that such collaboration is impossible under their current disadvantaged position, where even collecting rainwater independently is seen as a breach of law.

Economic and Social Impact of the Policy

The economic consequences for Palestinian communities have been severe. Agriculture, traditionally reliant on seasonal rainfall as well as underground wells, has become increasingly unsustainable under restrictions. Villages once known for olive, citrus, and grape production now struggle to irrigate their orchards. In some areas, unemployment has risen as farmers switch to less water-intensive but lower-income crops, or abandon farming altogether.

Socially, the water crisis has fueled resentment and despair. Palestinians often describe their daily reality of rationed water against the backdrop of settlement communities with plentiful supply as emblematic of broader inequality. Aid groups also point to how the inability to meet basic domestic water needs fuels public health risks ranging from skin infections to waterborne diseases.

Legal and Humanitarian Debates

International legal scholars continue to debate the legality of Israel’s claim over rainwater. Many argue that natural precipitation cannot be considered a resource that belongs to any government, especially under occupation. Others note that water rights are crucial to the fulfillment of economic and social rights enshrined in international covenants.

Human rights organizations frequently highlight the right to water as fundamental, noting that denying communities the ability to collect rain undermines not only agriculture but also dignity and self-sufficiency. The UN committee behind the latest report framed Israel’s rainwater policy as part of a larger system of restrictions undermining Palestinian livelihoods.

Public Response and International Attention

The report has sparked renewed outcry from international groups pressing for equitable water rights. Public demonstrations have taken place in Palestinian towns such as Hebron and Nablus as villagers highlight the injustice of being denied access to rainwater that falls on their own homes. Aid groups have called for urgent intervention to rehabilitate Palestinian cisterns and protect them from demolition.

Diplomatic reactions from the international community, however, remain muted, with calls for restraint framed in general terms rather than direct condemnations. Some regional observers note that water control has long been embedded within the political dimensions of the conflict, with little sign of resolution on the horizon.

Climate Change and Future Risks

Compounding the tensions is the ongoing climate crisis. Scientists warn that the eastern Mediterranean region, including Israel and Palestine, is projected to experience increasingly severe droughts, hotter temperatures, and unpredictable rainfall. This puts additional pressure on already scarce resources.

In this context, prohibiting Palestinians from harvesting rainwater further exacerbates vulnerability. Experts argue that sustainable water management should involve cooperation and adaptation strategies, not unilateral restrictions that deepen inequality. Without such changes, the region risks spiraling toward an unprecedented water emergency.

Outlook

The issue of rainwater ownership in the West Bank underscores the intersection between natural resources and political conflict. As long as policies continue to prioritize control over cooperation, millions of Palestinians remain trapped in a cycle of scarcity. The UN’s latest report highlights the urgency of addressing water inequity not merely as an environmental concern but as a matter of human survival.

While neighboring countries have sought to mitigate shortages through international agreements and infrastructure investment, Palestinian communities remain constrained by restrictions that even extend to the rainfall that lands on their roofs and fields. Until broader political questions are resolved, rainwater — one of the simplest and oldest sources of life in the region — will remain at the center of one of the world’s most entrenched struggles over land and resources.