JERICHO, April 1, 2025 (WAFA) — Israeli colonists unlawfully occupied the Al-Auja Spring area north of Jericho on Tuesday afternoon, declaring the area a closed military zone. The move comes as Israeli forces detained three Palestinian citizens who were leisurely strolling in the area.

Hassan Malehat, the general supervisor of the Al-Baydar Organization for the Defense of Bedouin Rights and Targeted Villages, told WAFA that the colonists seized the spring area and prohibited local Bedouins from accessing the vital water source for drinking and for watering their livestock.

Meanwhile, Eid Barahma, the director of the Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) in Jericho and the Jordan Valley, confirmed that Israeli forces, who were providing protection to the colonists, detained three Palestinians who had been in the area enjoying a peaceful outing.

Earlier on Tuesday, the same group of colonists had attacked a group of Palestinians in the Al-Auja Spring area, spraying them with pepper spray. Five of the citizens sustained various injuries, including burns, as a result of the assault.

Al-Auja Spring has long been the site of repeated attacks by Israeli colonists, who have established a number of outposts in the surrounding area in recent years. 

M.N