Israeli forces and colonists bulldoze land, set fire to hundreds of dunums northwest of Hebron

HEBRON: Israeli occupation forces and colonists today bulldozed Palestinian residents' lands and set fire to a large number of fully-grown trees in the towns of Beit Ula and Tarqumiya, northwest of Hebron, according to a local activist. Suleiman Jaafra, an activist with the Wall and Colonies Resistance Committees told WAFA that groups of colonists from the illegal Israeli colonies of Adora and Telem set ablaze around 300 hundred dunums of land planted with fully grown olive and almond trees in the al-Taybeh area, which is located adjacent to the said colonies. The lands belong to several Palestinian families in the area. Colonists also leveled privately-owned Palestinian land threatened with seizure by Israel in the Hardash area in Tarqoumia town. After the 7th of October, 2023, colonists placed several caravans on the threatened land as a prelude to establishing a colonial outpost there. The activist indicated that such measures are aimed at seizing more Palestinian land for the benefit of expanding the s aid outpost. Also in the town of Ula, bulldozers of the occupation forces leveled nearly 2.5 dunums of land owned by a local resident. Forces cut down all the trees planted there and destroyed agricultural facilities, under the pretext of being located in area C of the West Bank, under full Israeli administrative and military control. The land owner, Wa'el Farasha told WAFA correspondent that Israeli forces destroyed and vandalized his land, which he has been reclaiming and cultivating for years, despite obtaining a decision from the occupation court ordering the cessation of work on his land. Nevertheless, the Israeli authorities did not comply with the court ruling and razed the land. Source: Palestine news & Information Agency - WAFA