The rights to water and sanitation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory [OPT]

Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) are repeatedly denied their rights to water and sanitation. Water resource allocation between Israel and the OPT is discriminatory. Palestinians are deprived of fair access to water resources, and insufficient water and sanitation infrastructure development has left many communities with minimal amounts of water to meet basic health and hygiene needs. In the West Bank, Israel restricts the amount of water Palestinians can take from the shared aquifer, leading to water shortages in Palestinian communities, particularly during the summer months. In Area C, the 60% of the West Bank under full Israeli military control, Palestinians are required to apply for permits for construction, maintenance and repair of infrastructure, which are almost impossible to obtain. Infrastructure built without permits are subject to demolitions. [authors abstract]