Tulkarm: Israeli bulldozers have initiated extensive land leveling operations on Palestinian lands located west of Tulkarm, adjacent to the illegal colony of Beit Hefer.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, this development follows a decision by the Israeli occupation army, announced on Sunday, to level and seize approximately 200 dunams of Palestinian-owned land.
The decision claims the creation of a buffer zone for the protection of Beit Hefer colony, which is situated on northern Tulkarm lands and surrounded by the separation and expansion wall established by the occupation in 2002. The targeted lands stretch along the western line of the city toward the Shuweika plain to the north, encompassing agricultural areas owned by citizens, as well as regions classified as "government land" under the occupation's classification.
Maps accompanying the order highlight the confiscated zones in red, indicating that access will be barred to Palestinians once the bulldozing is completed. The Tulkarm Agriculture Directorate informed WAFA that the seized area consists of 200 dunams, spread across five basins; three from the Qaqun basin and two from Tulkarm.
The Directorate confirmed that all lands are located adjacent to the apartheid separation wall, including 40 dunams planted with olive trees and various fruit trees, and 160 dunams dedicated to open-field cultivation. This action is part of an occupation policy aimed at expanding colonial control and seizing agricultural land, posing a threat to the livelihoods of numerous farmers in and around Tulkarm.
