The Independent Commission for Human Rights - ICHR 33 Deir Samit, and Beit Awwa, as well as to land adjacent to the Separation Wall in western Hebron. Closed down since 2000, some roads in the Hebron governorate were converted into unregulated dump sites, including in As-Samoa’ town, Deir Shams area, and Wadi al-Ghamari road. Extending in front of the southern entrance to the Kifl Haris town in the Salfit governorate, the Trans-Samaria settler bypass highway was used an unregulated dump site by settlers. While Palestinian vehicles are prevented from accessing the Trans-Samaria highway, Israeli dump trucks are allowed to transport waste from the 1048 territory and settlements into the West Bank, particularly the border areas of Deir Ballut, Biddya, and Bruqin. The Israeli occupying authorities permitted the construction of dump sites to receive hazardous waste, especially from the Barkan settlement, industrial estate of the Ariel settlement, and HaSharon area in Tel Aviv. Hundreds of dump trucks continued to transport waste into the Palestinian territory. Work is also underway to construct the largest waste treatment plant in the Middle East in the vicinity of the Khan al-Amhar area on the West Bank land. 1.1.6.3 Impeding the implementation of environmental infrastructure projects and banning operations to deliver public and environmental services In addition to the sanitary landfill of Abu Dis and Al-Eizariya, the Israeli occupying authorities continued to use by force the Al-Maniya dump site in the eastern Bethlehem governorate to dispose of waste produced by nearby Israeli settlements. At the same time, Israel prevents Palestinians and Palestinian LGUs form using these dump sites and confiscated their dump trucks. The Israeli authorities continued to obstruct the construction of a waste transfer station in western Ramallah, postponed the issuance of approvals and licences for the Rummun sanitary landfill, and failed to issue needed approvals for the wastewater treatment plant in the Beituniya area. The Israeli authorities also refused to approve the construction of a new waste transfer station in Qalqiliya and a station for collection of stone cutting waste produced by stone processing factories in eastern Herbon, particularly in the Khallet Wati area, putting at risk the operation of the wastewater treatment plant under construction. Citing security concerns, Israel did not allow the entry of acids needed for primary treatment stations, disrupting operation of the industrial water treatment plant of tanneries for two years. This has produced hazardous wastes, such as chrome, which had to be transferred to Israeli sanitary landfills at the expense of producers and at a cost of ILS 18,000 per tonne. Because this wastewater contaminates adjacent land and flow into the 1948 Palestinian territory, the Israeli occupying authorities deducted treatment functions from Palestinian clearance revenues. The Israeli occupying authorities shut down dumping sites run by some Palestinian LGUs and Joint Service Councils, particularly in the areas of Deir Ballut, Biddya, and Az-Zawiya. The IOF chased, detained, and fined waste collection vehicles and dump trucks. In an attempt to annex land to a settlement, the Israeli authorities denied access for Palestinian government agencies and citizens to the Khirbet Deir Sam’an and heritage olive press in the Kafr ad-Dik town, which is surrounded by Israeli settlements. The Israeli authorities also restricted Palestinians’ ability to drill artesian wells and access water sources, especially in the water rich Salfit governorate, negatively reflecting on the normal life and health conditions of Palestinian society. This practice has also impacted agricultural activities, putt the vegetation cover at risk of desertification, and reduced and endangered biological diversity. 1.1.6.4 Discharging settlement wastewater into Palestinian lands Throughout the year, Israeli settlements deliberately discharged untreated wastewater into Palestinian villages and towns and agricultural lands. Posing a key challenge and grave violation of the Twenty Seventh Annual Report 2021