Israeli settlers torch nearly 50 olive trees in south of occupied West Bank

Bethlehem (QNN)- A group of Israeli settlers torched today dozens of olive trees in Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem city, south of the occupied West Bank.

Hasan Breijieh, director of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Authority’s office in Bethlehem, said a group of settlers sneaked into a privately-owned Palestinian land planted with olive trees in an area north of Beit Fajjar and set the trees on fire.

At least 50 trees were burnt, causing serious damage to an important income-generating business for the landowner, as Breijieh said.

Palestinians plant around 10,000 new olive trees in the West Bank each year, most of which are of oil-pro­duc­ing varieties.

However, Palestinians see the destruc­tion of their trees as a way for the occupation to erase Palestinian iden­tity and force them to cede more land to the Israeli occupation.

The committee against the wall and settlement said Israeli forces uprooted, broke, and damaged 6507 trees in 869 operations in 2020.

Israeli settlers violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the occupied West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli occupation authorities.

There are nearly 700,000 Israeli settlers living in 256 illegal settlements and outposts scattered across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Israeli settlements are illegal under international law