HEBRON, July 23, 2026 (WAFA) – Armed Israeli colonists, heavily guarded by Israeli forces, stormed Palestinian-owned land in the village of Tuwana on Thursday, while other colonists seized two water wells south of Hebron.

Meanwhile, another group of colonists  destroyed and seized the main and only water pipeline supplying the villages of Birin and Khallat al-Farn to the east.

Activist Osama Makhameh told WAFA that a group of colonists, escorted by Israeli forces, raided the village of Tuwana in Masafer Yatta after the forces completely sealed off the village and prevented residents from moving around. The colonists then performed Talmudic prayers on Palestinian-owned land, claiming it was an archaeological site.

Other colonists also seized two more water wells in the Khallat al-Homs area south of Yatta, bringing the total number of wells seized in that area in recent days to four. The wells have reportedly been desecrated and used for swimming by colonists, while their water has been diverted to an outpost established about two months ago on Palestinian lands.

In the village of Birin, east of Bethlehem, the head of the village council, Farid Barqan, confirmed to WAFA that a group of colonists from the illegal outpost of Mitzpe Ziv, built on village land, destroyed the main and only water line supplying Birin and Khirbet al-Farn.

Colonists further seized and stole the water, diverting it to the outpost after connecting their network to the village's main water meter. This has deprived more than 450 residents of Birin and Khirbet al-Farn of drinking water, in addition to threatening the crops of dozens of dunams and the livestock of more than 2,000 sheep, all of which depend on this water source.

Y.S