Israeli settlers vandalise olive trees in West Bank
Israeli settlers destroyed about 12 olive trees near the Palestinian village of Deir Istiya, in the occupied West Bank governorate of Salfit, on Saturday, local sources told the Wafa news agency.
The settlers from the illegal Israeli Yakir outpost north of Salfit came back to destroy the trees belonging to Palestinian resident, Musleh Youssef Mansour, after earlier vandalising about 20 of his other olive trees, Wafa added.
Palestinians have cultivated olive trees for thousands of years and traditionally begin the annual harvest to make olive oil in September.
The UN humanitarian agency said Israeli travel restrictions and attacks on olive groves meant Palestinian farmers lost approximately 1,200 metric tonnes of olive oil from last year’s harvest.
A Palestinian olive farmer checks damages to her olive trees near Salfit in the occupied West Bank
Palestinians promise to rebuild village destroyed by Israeli settlers
Palestinians have promised to rebuild the village of Khirbet Zanuta in the occupied West Bank after an Israeli court ruled in their favour in a rare rebuke of illegal Israeli settlements.
Fayez Fares Al Samareh, 57, a Palestinian shepherd, said he returned two weeks ago to find that his house had been bulldozed by settlers. “The children have not returned and the women as well. Where will they stay? Under the sun?” Al Samareh told the AP news agency.
Standing in front of the village’s former school, which had also been bulldozed, Khaled Doudin, the governor of the Hebron region that includes Khirbet Zanuta, said the community would rebuild.
“We will renovate these buildings so that they are qualified to receive students before winter sets in,” he said, adding the village would “not give the [Israeli] occupation the opportunity to demolish [the school] again”.
Hassan Battat stands near his destroyed home in the occupied West Bank village of Khirbet Zanuta, overlooking the Israeli Meitarim settlement
