CPTnet
14 September 2006

AT-TUWANI: Water truck to Suseya village disabled by metal spikes

About 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 12, a villager in At-Tuwani informed
members of Operation Dove and Christian Peacemaker Teams that a truck
carrying water supplied by the international aid organization Oxfam had been
disabled on the road entering the nearby village of Suseya. Someone had
strewn dozens of metal spikes across the road, which caused damage to five
tires of the water truck.

The At-Tuwani man, who had talked with the driver of the truck, showed
members of the peace team three of the spikes, which consist of four prongs
of about 3/8 inch diameter and two inches long-- designed so at least one
prong will jut into the air when tossed on a surface. The delivery of the
water was delayed while the driver of the truck made repairs to his tires.

Residents of a nearby Israeli settlement have frequently harassed the
residents of Suseya. The at-Tuwani man speculated that this incident was
the latest attempt by settlers to force the few remaining Palestinian
villagers in Suseya from their homes.

"Water is very important to the people," he said. "If they have water,
they can remain in their homes. If not, they will have to leave."

The entire area is suffering from drought this summer, and villages like
Suseya and At-Tuwani rely on the trucked-in water for survival.

Since the water truck serves the village according to a regular schedule, it
is likely the settlers were aware the truck would have been traveling that
road on Tuesday.