Yonatan Marcus and Efrat officials accuse the Palestinian Authority of neglecting the historic Solomon's Pools reservoirs.
Yonatan Marcus, chief of staff for the Efrat Municipality, reported that the historic Solomon's Pools reservoirs have suffered from significant neglect under the Palestinian Authority's jurisdiction. The 2,000-year-old site, which historically supplied water to Jerusalem, is currently located in Area A of the West Bank. Marcus noted that the site has been plagued by sewage contamination and garbage, despite the Palestinian Authority's commitment to protect historical sites. Efrat officials argue that the settlement of Efrat is the primary stakeholder in the preservation of the administration's heritage. They claim that the Palestinian Authority has failed to provide adequate maintenance, and that the sewage was deliberately diverted into the pools. Conversely, a Palestinian Authority spokesman rejected these claims, stating that the user-sited springs were diverted by Israeli locals and that the Palestinian Authority has actively developed the tomb as a tourist destination. As tensions rise, Israeli forces have declared the Solomon's Pools area a closed military area, temporarily prohibiting public access to the ensure preservation and manage the ongoing dispute over sovereignty.