Israeli Troops Raid Solomon's Pools in Area A, Threatening Seizure of 250,000-Cubic-Metre Site
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Jul 19
Israeli Troops Raid Solomon's Pools in Area A, Threatening Seizure of 250,000-Cubic-Metre Site
2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 19
Summary
10 July brought an unprecedented Israeli army raid on Solomon's Pools near Bethlehem, with soldiers firing teargas while children were swimming at the ancient reservoirs.
The incursion followed Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's May call to void 30-year-old arrangements recognizing Palestinian ownership, after he and lawmaker Zvi Sukkot were filmed swimming there and declaring the site "our land."
Solomon's Pools lie in Bethlehem's Area A under the 1995 Oslo framework, making any Israeli takeover a direct challenge to one of the few West Bank zones long treated as under Palestinian civil and police control.
The three pools—among the ancient world's largest surviving water systems, with 250,000 cubic metres of capacity—have become a key recreational refuge for Bethlehem residents as settlements tighten around the city.
Archaeologists and Palestinian officials say the campaign is using heritage claims to justify deeper West Bank control and to recast the site's layered Roman, Ottoman and later history as exclusively Jewish.
Is the battle for an ancient reservoir about history, or a strategic move to control the West Bank's water and future?
With the Oslo Accords being dismantled, what precedent does seizing 'sovereign' Palestinian land set for the entire region?
Heritage at Risk: The 2026 Political Battle Over Solomon’s Pools and Its Impact on Palestinian Public Access
Overview
In June 2026, Knesset member Zvi Sukkot visited Solomon’s Pools and publicly called for Israeli control over the site, directly challenging the current status quo and threatening Palestinian access. This move is supported by hardline Israeli propagandists, who argue that the Palestinian Authority has let the site fall into disrepair, pointing to visible neglect as justification for intervention. These claims are being used to legitimize calls for a change in management, creating immediate insecurity for Palestinians who rely on the pools for cultural and daily life. The situation highlights escalating political tensions and the risk of restricted access for local communities.