Israeli settlers chop trees in northern West Bank town

Israeli settlers today chopped a number of olive trees in the northern West Bank town of Bidya, according to a Palestinian official.

 

Walid Assaf, head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, told WAFA that settlers, protected by soldiers, broke into an area of the town known as Khillet Hassan and chopped dozens of olive trees.

 

He said residents rushed to the scene to protect their trees and lands against the intruders.

 

Khillet Hassan and nearby areas have been constant targets of Israeli army and settlers incursions and destruction of property and trees as part of Israeli efforts to empty the land of its Palestinian owners for the purpose of expanding illegal settlements.

 

Moreover, Israeli occupation forces demolished an agricultural wall in Ni‘lin town, west of Ramallah city, according to sources.

 

Mayor of Ni‘lin Emad al-Khawaja told WAFA that a unit of Israeli forces raided the town and tore down a wall surrounding a one-donum plot of agricultural land belonging to Hussein al-Khawaja in the early morning hours.

 

The landowner explained the Israeli authorities ordered him a month ago to halt the construction of the wall purportedly for being close to the section of Israel’s apartheid wall, built on land seized from the town, without allowing him sufficient time to appeal the decision in Israeli courts.

 

Located 18 kilometers to the northwest of Ramallah city, Ni‘lin has a population of some 5,900 and occupies a total area of 15,228 dunams. Since the start of the Israeli occupation in June 1967, like so many other villages in Palestine, Ni‘lin has been subjected to almost continual land theft for Israeli colonial settlements, bypass roads, and military installations.

 

Compiled by: Basma Qaddour