Bethlehem: Israeli occupying forces on Tuesday took over a tract of Palestinian-owned land in al-Khader town, south of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to a researcher. Hassan Breijah, a researcher on Israeli wall and colonists, reported that the occupation forces seized six dunums of Palestinian-owned land in the Ein al-Qassis area, west of the town, to facilitate the expansion of the nearby colonial outpost of Sde Boaz, which was established on approximately 100 dunums of Palestinian-owned cultivated land.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Breijah expressed concerns that this land seizure could signal a broader pattern of land takeovers, increased attacks by Israeli colonists, and further restrictions on Palestinian farmers' access to their lands. The routine violence by colonists against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank often goes unpunished by Israeli authorities.
The violence perpetrated by colonists includes acts such as property and mosque arsons, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, and attacks on vulnerable homes. Currently, approximately 1 million Israeli colonists reside in colonies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, a presence that violates international law.
