The Human Right to Water and the Realisation of Water Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ahmed Beshtawi*
This article seeks to assess the role of the human right to water in realising water rights in the scenario of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). In particular, it seeks to answer the question of the extent to which the human right to water protects Palestinians’ water rights in the OPT. In doing so, the article will start by analysing the human right to water and the related obligation it imposes on states in protecting water rights. In addition, the article will examine the applicability of the human right to water to the OPT and to what extent Israel is committed to realise it.
Keywords: human right to water; Occupied Palestinian Territory; Israel; water rights
1. Introduction
The human right to water ‘entitles everyone to sufficient safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses.’1 It is indispensable for having a life with human dignity and considered a prerequisite for the realisation of other human rights.2 The human right to water is framed as to be implemented through the relationship between a state and its population, whereby the state is responsible for the realisation of certain obligations to the people whom in turn have the right to monitor the performance of the state and participate in decision making. The human right to water emphasises the role of the state or sovereign as responsible for the realisation of the obligations and thus who should have exclusive agency for water provision and control over water resources. However, in a situation of military occupation as exists in the OPT, where Israel acts as a de facto sovereign while the Palestinian Authority (PA) does not have control over water resources and merely enjoys administrative powers this begs the question: To what extent does the human right to water protect Palestinians’ water rights in the OPT.3 In answering that question, the article will start by examining the human right to water as an individual right and the related obligation it imposes on states in protecting water rights. Further, the article will examine the applicability of the human right to water to the OPT and to what extent Israel (acting as a de facto sovereign) is committed to realising it.
to read the dull article please click on
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The Human Right to Water and the Realisation of Water Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ahmed Beshtawi*
This article seeks to assess the role of the human right to water in realising water rights in the scenario of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). In particular, it seeks to answer the question of the extent to which the human right to water protects Palestinians’ water rights in the OPT. In doing so, the article will start by analysing the human right to water and the related obligation it imposes on states in protecting water rights. In addition, the article will examine the applicability of the human right to water to the OPT and to what extent Israel is committed to realise it.
Keywords: human right to water; Occupied Palestinian Territory; Israel; water rights
1. Introduction
The human right to water ‘entitles everyone to sufficient safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses.’1 It is indispensable for having a life with human dignity and considered a prerequisite for the realisation of other human rights.2 The human right to water is framed as to be implemented through the relationship between a state and its population, whereby the state is responsible for the realisation of certain obligations to the people whom in turn have the right to monitor the performance of the state and participate in decision making. The human right to water emphasises the role of the state or sovereign as responsible for the realisation of the obligations and thus who should have exclusive agency for water provision and control over water resources. However, in a situation of military occupation as exists in the OPT, where Israel acts as a de facto sovereign while the Palestinian Authority (PA) does not have control over water resources and merely enjoys administrative powers this begs the question: To what extent does the human right to water protect Palestinians’ water rights in the OPT.3 In answering that question, the article will start by examining the human right to water as an individual right and the related obligation it imposes on states in protecting water rights. Further, the article will examine the applicability of the human right to water to the OPT and to what extent Israel (acting as a de facto sovereign) is committed to realising it.
to read the dull article please click on
/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/The%20humanright%20to%20water%20and%20the%20realization%20o.pdf
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