The ancient Solomon's Pools complex near Bethlehem is at risk of being seized by Israel, sparking widespread outrage among Palestinians and threatening a decades-old agreement that affirms their ownership of the site. The move comes as Israeli forces have increasingly encroached on West Bank land, eroding Palestinian control and fuelling concerns about the future of Middle East peace talks.
The Solomon's Pools complex boasts a history stretching back to the second century BCE, with major construction efforts undertaken by the Romans a century later. This vast engineering feat, comprising two reservoirs, aqueducts, and tunnels, was designed to supply water to Jerusalem, located approximately 13km away. A third monumental basin was added during Ottoman rule, alongside a fort built to protect the water supply. During the British Mandate period, from 1923 to 1948, the system was modernised with metal pipes and pumps. While the pools no longer funnel water to Jerusalem, they have become a crucial recreational hub for the local communities, particularly for residents of Bethlehem, who find their city increasingly encircled by new settlements.
The immediate threat to the pools emerged in May when Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and fellow hardline politician Zvi Sukkot reportedly had police clear Palestinians from the area to film themselves swimming. Smotrich declared, "This is our land," echoed by Sukkot's call for Israeli control. Since this incident, settler incursions have become more frequent, culminating in an unprecedented raid by Israeli soldiers on 10 July, during which tear gas was deployed while children were swimming in the pools.
This pressure campaign has ignited widespread outrage among Palestinians. Beyond the archaeological significance of the three rectangular pools, which collectively form one of the largest surviving ancient water systems with a combined capacity of 250,000 cubic metres, the move is seen as a direct challenge to the Palestinian Authority (PA). Under the 1995 second Oslo Accord, Solomon's Pools were designated as part of Area A, placing them under Palestinian civil and police control. This division of the West Bank into Areas A, B, and C was originally conceived as a transitional phase towards eventual Israeli withdrawal and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
However, the prospect of an independent Palestinian state has been increasingly undermined by the current Israeli government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his far-right coalition have accelerated the expansion of Israeli settlements across the West Bank, a strategy widely perceived as an attempt to prevent the emergence of a viable Palestinian state. While Area A has largely been considered inviolable in the past, a security cabinet edict in February formally permitted settlers to enter the area without prior permission from the PA, effectively eroding its sovereignty.