Colonists destroy olive trees and steal their harvest east of Salfit

Israeli colonists destroyed on Tuesday Palestinian-owned olive trees and stole their harvest in the village of Yasuf east of Salfit, according to a local official.

The head of the Yasuf village council, Wa’el Abu Madi, told WAFA that several colonists from two nearby illegal colonies destroyed olive trees and stole their harvest east of the said village.

Dozens of colonists broke into the said area yesterday and destroyed olive trees. Residents have not yet been able to reach their lands and assess the damage.

During the annual olive harvest season, Palestinian lands frequently face repeated attacks by colonists and the Israeli military. Farmers encounter numerous obstacles and arbitrary practices that hinder their access to their fields, resulting in significant financial losses and exacerbating their daily struggles under occupation.

In a previous report published by WAFA, the Ministry of Agriculture estimated that farmers may not be able to access around 80,000 dunums of land planted with olive trees d
ue to escalating restrictions and colonists’ violence. This situation could lead to a loss of approximately 15% of the olive production, which is estimated to reach around 20,000 tons this season.

The olive harvest season is crucial for thousands of Palestinian families, many of whom rely on it for their livelihood.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA