Israeli attacks on occupied West Bank continue
- The Palestine Red Crescent Society has announced a young man was shot by Israeli forces in the town of Atara, north of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.
- Israeli forces have stormed the village of Susya, in the Masafer Yatta area south of Hebron, Al Jazeera’s correspondent reports.
- Two people have been wounded during clashes that broke out in Beit Lid town, east of Tulkarem, in the occupied West Bank.
‘Symbol of Palestinian endurance’: West Bank’s ancient olive tree
It’s believed to be the oldest olive tree in the occupied West Bank estimated between 3,000 and 5,500 years old having endured millennia of drought and war.
“This is no ordinary tree. We’re talking about history, about civilisation, about a symbol,” said its guardian Salah Abu Ali, 52, in the village of al-Walajah, south of East Jerusalem.
“The oil from this tree is exceptional. The older the tree, the richer the oil,” said Abu Ali. He noted the precious resource, which he called “green gold”, costs four to five times more than regular oil.
This year, low rainfall led to slim pickings in the occupied West Bank, including for the tree whose many nicknames include the Elder, the Bedouin Tree, and Mother of Olives.
Mayor Khader al-Araj said the Elder has become “a symbol of Palestinian endurance”. “The olive tree represents the Palestinian people themselves – rooted in this land for thousands of years.”
A few steps away, the Israeli separation wall cutting off the West Bank stands five metres (16 feet) high, crowned with razor wire. More than half of al-Walajah’s original land now lies on the far side of the Israeli occupation wall.
Salah Abu Ali, the official guardian of what’s said to be the West Bank’s oldest olive tree
Settler arson attacks inflict damage across West Bank
Israeli settlers set fire to large areas of agricultural land in the town of Arrabeh, south of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank.
The sources told Wafa news agency that settlers ignited fires on vast tracts of farmland and olive groves located near the illegal settlement of Dothan. The flames spread across the area, damaging numerous olive trees.
Palestinian Civil Defence teams rushed to the scene and are working to bring the blazes under control. During the fire, Israeli forces also raided Arrabeh.
Meanwhile, settlers also damaged 15 ancient olive trees in the town of Yatta, south of Hebron. Following the attack, Israeli forces also assaulted that village.
In a separate incident in Nablus governorate, settlers destroyed livestock feed in the village of Khirbet at-Taweel, near the town of Aqraba.
