Video| Israeli settlers steal Palestinian olives and equipment in Qaryut village
Nablus (QNN)- Extremist Israeli settlers on Monday stole Palestinian olives and equipment in the Qaryut village, near the illegal settlement of Shvut Rachel, in Nablus in the occupied West Bank, uprooted and stole around 11 mature olive trees in the area.
Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, published a video in which its volunteer Adham a-Johari, a resident of Qaryut, came to his land last Monday after coordinating his arrival with the occupation military, which allows Palestinians to harvest olives on their land only several days a year.
A-Johari discovered a settler stealing his olives.
B’Tselem said the occupation forces soldiers and Border Police officers, who were present at the scene, did nothing to stop the theft and let the settler leave with the fruit and equipment he had stolen.
Watch the Israeli military protect thieves: B'Tselem volunteer Adham a-Johari, a resident of Qaryut, came to his land yesterday after coordinating his arrival with the military, which allows Palestinians to harvest olives on their land only several days a year,> pic.twitter.com/yJL16nuNJy
— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) October 19, 2021
In addition, 11 mature olive trees, some of which were more than 20 years old, were uprooted in their entirety and stolen, according to the rights group.
On October 12, 2021, Israeli settlers uprooted around 900 olive and apricot trees in Sebastia in Nablus and stole olive crops. They also uprooted 70 olive trees in Masafer Yatta in Hebron.
According to United Nations monitors, more than 4,000 olive trees and other tree crops have been burned or removed by Israeli settlers and forces in 2020.
The committee against the wall and settlement on Sunday said Israeli forces uprooted, broke, and damaged 6507 trees in 869 operations in 2020.
The ancient olive trees are regarded by Palestinians as a symbol of their connection to the land. Each year, during the olive harvesting season, such incidents spike across the occupied West Bank.
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.
Olives are Palestine’s most important crop, whose oil is exported around the globe and whose annual harvest is a crucial source of income for thousands of farming families.
Olive cultivation contributes up to $100 million in income for some of the poorest Palestinian communities, OXFAM once said in a report.
