After Al-Marsad - the Arab Center for Human Rights in the Golan Heights called upon the Israeli occupation forces to fulfil their international obligations and safeguard the water supply to the Syrian population of the area they occupied after the fall of Bashar Al-Assad’s regime on December 8 and immediately repair the damaged water pumps, they informed Al-Marsad that they had taken steps in this regard, including communicating with the International Committee of the Red Cross and the water pump manager in the area to repair the damage and improve the water supply.

On May 20, 2025, Al-Marsad sent an urgent letter to the Israeli occupation forces, demanding an end to the targeting of water wells that have supplied water to the Syrian villages occupied since December 8, 2024. They also called for the restoration of water supplies to the villages whose wells were targeted. Al-Marsad stressed that such actions are clear violations of international law and the rights of Syrian citizens to access water, life, and dignity. The organization warned of the potentially catastrophic consequences for the region's residents.

Al-Marsad's letter to the Israeli occupation forces referenced additional Protocol I to the 1949 Geneva Convention, which unequivocally prohibits the targeting of civilian drinking water sources under any circumstances. The letter emphasized that 'the water right is a fundamental human right, recognized as part of universal human rights, and is directly linked to the right to a decent living and the right to life and dignity.'

Several media reports have confirmed that the Israeli occupation forces targeted the wells surrounding the village of Kodna in the western Quneitra countryside, resulting in a severe disruption of water supplies to the village and other surrounding areas. It's important to note that the residents of the buffer zone and its surrounding areas, which Israel occupied after the fall of the Assad regime, are entirely dependent on the water from these wells and dams to meet their daily water needs.

To read the full response letter

To read the original letter: Al-Marsad Calls on the Israeli Occupation Army to Refrain from Targeting Water Wells Supplying the Occupied Syrian Villages Since 08.12.2024