in the air fall back down to the earth and then settle in the surrounding soil. So, the soil then transfers the toxic chemicals to the farms, to the animals and then back to the human body through food. If you look at the site of the landfill, you can clearly see a black liquid leaking from it. This material is a poisoning, polluting liquid. It is not treated and the landfill doesn’t have a facility to collect or treat these liquids coming out of the waste. The most dangerous thing is that these liquids reach the aquifer and damage one of the main sources of water in the area. As well as this waste coming from inside the Green Line, there is also the waste produced in colonies that is dumped in Palestinian landfills and Palestinian lands.” Reem Musleh, Environmental Engineer, PhD, Lead Consultant of Waste Management INGO in Ramallah. Interview: 8 February 2017 Sewage from Colonies The Oslo II Accords (1995) raised the issue of sewage in Article 40, but left the topic of ownership of water and sewage infrastructure in the West Bank to be settled in final status negotiations. Article 40 divides responsibility for sewage and water management between Israel and the PA, dictating that Israel must transfer its responsibilities to the PA in areas A and B. It also left the implementation of the article to the JWC, which has proven ineffective in providing adequate services to Palestinian areas, including extending basic sewage infrastructure to many places in the West Bank. Sewage from Israel and Israeli colonies is a main cause of environmental damage in the West Bank, demonstrating that not only is Israel ignoring its duties to provide a healthy environment in the occupied territory but also that the colonies are causing serious, widespread environmental damage. It is clear that Israel is using wastewater as a tool to destroy the environment, health and livelihoods of the Palestinian population in the West Bank by directing sewage into Palestinian areas. Most of the colonies are located on hilltops which allow sewage to flow down to the Palestinian towns, villages and communities in the valleys.206 As a result, sewage has been contaminating drinking water, damaging crops, creating an unhealthy environment and generating many diseases. This has affected the ability of the Palestinian population to continue living in their communities. 206 Frykberg, “West Bank as garbage dump,” supra note 202. 55