More than 1,000 Palestinian fruit trees uprooted in May alone, in occupied West Bank
Israeli settlers cut down about 100 olive trees in a plain between the villages of al-Mughayyir and Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, the Wafa news agency reports. The trees belonged to two Palestinian farmers.
In May, settlers uprooted more than 1,000 trees, including 695 olive trees in the governorates of Hebron, Ramallah, Salfit, Tulkarem and Nablus, the report added.
Since Israel’s war on Gaza started in October 2023, many villagers have endured escalating restrictions from the Israeli military and attacks from settlers who have been stealing their olives and setting fire to their groves.
Eight arrested in southern occupied West Bank: Report
Israeli forces have arrested eight Palestinians in the Hebron district, the Wafa news agency is reporting. Five of them were detained near a water spring in the town of Nahalin, west of Bethlehem, Wafa added.
Additionally, in the village of al-Mafqara in the Masafer Yatta area, two Palestinian brothers were detained by Israeli soldiers while tending to livestock near their home, it said, while another person was arrested from the town of Ash-Shuyukh, northeast of Hebron.
Israeli army continues to demolish homes in West Bank, gives residents ‘3 hours to collect belongings’
The Israeli army is demolishing residential buildings in Tulkarem refugee camp in the occupied West Bank for a second consecutive day, Wafa news agency has reported.
This is part of Israel’s plan to demolish 106 buildings in Tulkarem and Nur Shams, according to a notification the Israeli army delivered to residents of the two sites more than a week ago, the report said. Palestinians were given three hours to enter their homes and take their belongings, it added.
The two refugee camps – along with that of Jenin – have been subject to Israel’s longest and most destructive military operation in the Palestinian territories in decades. Since it was launched on January 21, Israeli soldiers have conducted large-scale demolitions that the UNRWA said “seek to permanently change the characteristics of the camps”.
The operation has resulted in the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since the 1967 war, with some 40,000 people forced from their homes. The three places are now nearly empty of their residents, the UN agency said.
Palestinian killed, 2 wounded by Israeli gunfire at West Bank crossing
Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man and wounded two others at the Meitar-Tarqumiya crossing near Hebron in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed the casualties but did not provide details about the shooting.
The official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, cited unnamed sources as saying the deceased was a young man. The wounded individuals were from the town of Idhna, in western Hebron, and sustained moderate injuries.
Israeli forces fired live rounds at the three men near the separation barrier in al-Dhahiriya in southern Hebron, the news agency said.
