Bethlehem: Israeli colonists cut down dozens of olive trees on Sunday morning in the village of Al-Maniya, south of Bethlehem, according to local sources. Zayed Kawazbeh, head of the Al-Maniya village council, reported that colonists from the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Amos, built on Palestinian-owned lands, targeted olive trees across an area of about two dunums in a location known as Al-Qurm. These trees belonged to a local Palestinian farmer.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, Kawazbeh added that colonists had attacked farmers in the same area the previous day, brutally assaulting a man and breaking his arm. Instead of arresting the assailants, Israeli occupation forces detained the injured farmer.
The Palestinian Authority’s Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission has documented 158 attacks against olive harvesters since the beginning of the current season. This includes 17 incidents involving Israeli forces and 141 carried out by colonists. The annual olive harvest season sees frequent attacks on Palestinian lands by colonists and Israeli soldiers, leading to financial losses and increased hardships for farmers.
Since October 2023, colonists have executed 7,154 attacks against Palestinians and their property across the West Bank, resulting in the deaths of 33 citizens. These assaults have led to the uprooting, breaking, or damaging of 48,728 trees, including 37,237 olive trees, as reported by the commission.
