Israeli actions threaten historic spring near Jericho
Ain al-Auja spring in the Jordan Valley is threatened with settlement expansion after Israel announced a plan to take over lands surrounding the area.
Atta, a 42-year-old Palestinian from Ain al-Auja village, which lies north of Jericho, on the Palestinian-Jordanian border, would regularly visit the spring in the village to relax and regain a sense of peace. Sometimes he would even bring his family along.
The village is one of the few breathing spaces in the area. “During the lockdown imposed by the coronavirus pandemic, this place was the best venting spot. I liked to come here to enjoy the beauty of nature and its biodiversity,” Atta, who did not give his last name, told Al-Monitor.
During the Eid al-Fitr holiday, Atta and his family went for a walk around the village and they were pleased to see other visitors in the area.
The Palestinian Tourist and Antiquities Police estimated that about 600,000 visitors from the area and various parts of the Palestinian territories visited the city of Jericho and its surroundings during the Eid al-Fitr holiday in early May. About 200,000 of them visited the spring of Ain al-Auja.
