8 oct 2016
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) prevented Saturday morning Palestinian farmers from Salem village east of Nablus from accessing their agricultural lands for the second consecutive day.
Local sources affirmed that Israeli forces accompanied with guards of Alon Moreh settlement chased local farmers and prevented them from harvesting their olive crops.
The farmers expressed fear of Israeli settlers’ intention to steal or damage their olive harvest.
Local sources affirmed that Israeli forces accompanied with guards of Alon Moreh settlement chased local farmers and prevented them from harvesting their olive crops.
The farmers expressed fear of Israeli settlers’ intention to steal or damage their olive harvest.
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Friday afternoon in Bil’in village, the Israeli military blocked the main road toward the Israeli Annexation Wall and declared the entire area a ‘closed military zone’, just as demonstrators began marching down the road for their weekly non-violent demonstration against the Wall and illegal settlements.
Before the protest began, the soldiers stopped local organizer Mohammad al-Khatib while he was on his way to his field to harvest his family’s olives, the main source of income for the Palestinian families in Bil’in. When the soldiers tried to confiscate his car, Mohammad al-Khatib staged a sit-in, lying in front of the car to prevent the soldiers from confiscating it. |
He told a camera person, “I will not move. This is my car, this is my land.”
The soldiers then abducted al-Khatib and took his car.
Local residents told reporters that this abduction was representative of the regular collective punishment suffered by villagers for holding peaceful weekly demonstrations against the occupation.
As they marched to the site of the Wall along an alternate route, protesters from the village, joined by Israeli and international activists, shouted, “WE WANT OUR FREEDOM! WE WANT HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS! WE WANT JUSTICE!”
The soldiers then abducted al-Khatib and took his car.
Local residents told reporters that this abduction was representative of the regular collective punishment suffered by villagers for holding peaceful weekly demonstrations against the occupation.
As they marched to the site of the Wall along an alternate route, protesters from the village, joined by Israeli and international activists, shouted, “WE WANT OUR FREEDOM! WE WANT HUMAN AND CIVIL RIGHTS! WE WANT JUSTICE!”
6 oct 2016
Israeli soldiers, accompanied by a number of armored bulldozers, invaded Thursday the at-Tass area, west of Kharas town, west of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, before bulldozing and uprooting 40 Dunams (9.88 Acres) of Palestinian lands.
Abdul-Fattah Qodeimat, the head of Kharas Local Council, told the Maan News Agency that the lands were planted with almond and olive trees.
He added that the soldiers also demolished several water wells in the invaded and uprooted lands, and that the wells belong to the families of Qodeimat, Halahla and Sa’id.
The official denounced the Israeli violations, and said that the soldiers are trying to force the Palestinians out of their lands, in order to build and expand the illegal Jewish-only colonies.
It is worth mentioning that, on Wednesday, the army invaded and uprooted 36 Dunams (8.89 Acres) near Kharas.
Abdul-Fattah Qodeimat, the head of Kharas Local Council, told the Maan News Agency that the lands were planted with almond and olive trees.
He added that the soldiers also demolished several water wells in the invaded and uprooted lands, and that the wells belong to the families of Qodeimat, Halahla and Sa’id.
The official denounced the Israeli violations, and said that the soldiers are trying to force the Palestinians out of their lands, in order to build and expand the illegal Jewish-only colonies.
It is worth mentioning that, on Wednesday, the army invaded and uprooted 36 Dunams (8.89 Acres) near Kharas.
2 oct 2016
A horde of Jewish settlers on Sunday morning attacked Palestinian shepherds near Beit Dajan, east of Nablus city.
Eyewitnesses told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the settlers assaulted and detained the shepherds for a while before releasing them.
They added the incident happened close to the road that leads to the illegal settlement of Elon Moreh near the town.
Every once in a while, Elon Moreh settlers attack the Palestinians natives living in villages and towns adjacent to their settlement, especially with the start of the olive harvest season.
Eyewitnesses told the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) that the settlers assaulted and detained the shepherds for a while before releasing them.
They added the incident happened close to the road that leads to the illegal settlement of Elon Moreh near the town.
Every once in a while, Elon Moreh settlers attack the Palestinians natives living in villages and towns adjacent to their settlement, especially with the start of the olive harvest season.
1 oct 2016
Israeli settlers from Bdo'ial illegal settlement pumped Saturday morning wastewater into olive fields north of Salfit, eyewitnesses reported.
The sources told the PIC reporter that severe damage was caused due to the settlers’ practice.
The local activist Khaled Maali pointed out that 24 nearby settlements’ wastewater has been polluting Salfit over the past years and the situation is getting worse.
The waste problem is now creating a major health problem to Salfit’s residents, he said, adding that the practice is a flagrant violation of international conventions.
“The industrial refuse from Israeli factories and the wastewater from the neighboring settlements have increased. Our crops are unsafe to eat and our livestock are threatened.
Children are suffering from skin and stomach illnesses. The smell is foul and we have a problem with insects. Most of the dumping of waste is deliberate,” locals complained.
They also appealed for the protection of their natural springs and archaeological sites from settlers’ almost-daily attacks.
As occupying power, Israel has the duty according to Article 56 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of ‘ensuring and maintaining, with the cooperation of national and local authorities, public health and hygiene in the occupied territory in order to prevent the spread of diseases and epidemics.’
The sources told the PIC reporter that severe damage was caused due to the settlers’ practice.
The local activist Khaled Maali pointed out that 24 nearby settlements’ wastewater has been polluting Salfit over the past years and the situation is getting worse.
The waste problem is now creating a major health problem to Salfit’s residents, he said, adding that the practice is a flagrant violation of international conventions.
“The industrial refuse from Israeli factories and the wastewater from the neighboring settlements have increased. Our crops are unsafe to eat and our livestock are threatened.
Children are suffering from skin and stomach illnesses. The smell is foul and we have a problem with insects. Most of the dumping of waste is deliberate,” locals complained.
They also appealed for the protection of their natural springs and archaeological sites from settlers’ almost-daily attacks.
As occupying power, Israel has the duty according to Article 56 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of ‘ensuring and maintaining, with the cooperation of national and local authorities, public health and hygiene in the occupied territory in order to prevent the spread of diseases and epidemics.’
29 sept 2016
Israeli settler gangs residing in the illegal Leshem settlement, in western Salfit, uprooted Palestinian olive trees, paving the way for settlement expansion.
Palestinian farmers said Israeli bulldozers leveled their olive orchards in eastern Deir Balout town, to the west of Salfit, in an attempt to expand illegal settlement at the expense of their own lands.
Researcher Khaled Maali said 130 illegal settlement units have been built in the Israeli Leshem outpost as part of a scheme to construct 700 units in the area.
A home to 424 Israeli extremist settlers, the aforementioned outpost was furtively established in 1982 and announced in 2013 over an area of nearly 300 dunums, all seized from Palestinian native inhabitants.
Palestinian farmers said Israeli bulldozers leveled their olive orchards in eastern Deir Balout town, to the west of Salfit, in an attempt to expand illegal settlement at the expense of their own lands.
Researcher Khaled Maali said 130 illegal settlement units have been built in the Israeli Leshem outpost as part of a scheme to construct 700 units in the area.
A home to 424 Israeli extremist settlers, the aforementioned outpost was furtively established in 1982 and announced in 2013 over an area of nearly 300 dunums, all seized from Palestinian native inhabitants.
28 sept 2016
Remarkable damage was inflicted on Palestinian olive trees as the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Wednesday morning bulldozed a set of cultivated orchards in Wadi Foukin area, to the west of Bethlehem province.
Reporting from the damaged fields, a PIC news correspondent said the Israeli bulldozers rolled into Wadi Foukin at 8 a.m. and leveled olive orchards covering an overall area of over 18 dunums.
The assault comes just a few days before the start of the annual olive harvest season, one of the most vital sources of living for Middle Easterners, the Palestinians in particular.
Reporting from the damaged fields, a PIC news correspondent said the Israeli bulldozers rolled into Wadi Foukin at 8 a.m. and leveled olive orchards covering an overall area of over 18 dunums.
The assault comes just a few days before the start of the annual olive harvest season, one of the most vital sources of living for Middle Easterners, the Palestinians in particular.
27 sept 2016
Olive season is one of the main links that connects Palestinians to their lands and embodies their resilience and identity.
According to Palestinians, Palestine and olives are synonyms in the Palestinian lexicon.
The olive harvest season is a cultural event in which Palestinian kids, women and elderly take part. The occupied West Bank produces one of the best kinds of olive oil in the world.
According to Oxfam, there are around 9 million olive trees in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians' harvesting of olive trees is confronted with the Israeli settlers’ theft, arson and vandalism of these trees.
These settlers also confiscate olive trees and assault the Palestinian farmers to prevent them from reaching their fields. Such Israeli practices aim to wipe out the Palestinian culture, represented by the deeply-rooted olive trees, especially as the Israeli occupation forces have uprooted around 1.5 million Palestinian olive trees since 1967.
Fares Al Jabi, Director of the Palestinian Center for Agricultural Research and Development, said, “The extracted olive oil last year was 21 thousand tons, while it was 26 thousand tons in 2014 and it is expected to reach 16 thousand tons this year.”
The reason behind this decline is the rise of temperature, according to Al Jabi. Furthermore, the even years generally have a better harvest than the odd years.
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the olive trees and oil represent 15% of the value of agricultural production in Palestine, which is equal to a billion dollars a year.
Concerns
As the harvest season approaches, Palestinian farmers are concerned about the increase of Israeli settlers’ attacks on the Palestinian farms and farmers.
Nimr Zuhdi, a Palestinian farmer from Khirbat Yanun, south-east of Nablus, stated that the Palestinian farmers are insistent on reaching their lands on harvest time despite all the jeopardy imposed by Israelis.
Zuhdi pointed out that the Israeli settlers intercept the Palestinians during the harvest season and let their trained dogs loose to attack them.
They also steal the olives after they are harvested under the protection of Israeli soldiers and police.
Zuhdi called upon the official agencies to take up their responsibility and confront the Israeli targeting of Palestinian lands that harm the Palestinian livelihoods.
Voluntary campaigns
Abu Omar, head of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief committees in Nablus, expressed his concern over the approach of the harvest season as Israeli forces and settlers are used to pursuing and abusing Palestinian farmers each year.
He confirmed that the committee is gathering volunteers to make campaigns to protect the Palestinian farmers.
Abu Omar stated that the IOF prevents the Palestinian farmers from reaching their lands in the harvest seasons, at the pretext that they are closed military areas.
He added that the Israeli violations never end but they escalate in the olive harvest season. He also called on the Palestinian schools, universities and institutions and on Arab and foreign activists to support and take the side of Palestinian farmers in face of the Israeli unjust practices.
According to Palestinians, Palestine and olives are synonyms in the Palestinian lexicon.
The olive harvest season is a cultural event in which Palestinian kids, women and elderly take part. The occupied West Bank produces one of the best kinds of olive oil in the world.
According to Oxfam, there are around 9 million olive trees in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Palestinians' harvesting of olive trees is confronted with the Israeli settlers’ theft, arson and vandalism of these trees.
These settlers also confiscate olive trees and assault the Palestinian farmers to prevent them from reaching their fields. Such Israeli practices aim to wipe out the Palestinian culture, represented by the deeply-rooted olive trees, especially as the Israeli occupation forces have uprooted around 1.5 million Palestinian olive trees since 1967.
Fares Al Jabi, Director of the Palestinian Center for Agricultural Research and Development, said, “The extracted olive oil last year was 21 thousand tons, while it was 26 thousand tons in 2014 and it is expected to reach 16 thousand tons this year.”
The reason behind this decline is the rise of temperature, according to Al Jabi. Furthermore, the even years generally have a better harvest than the odd years.
According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, the olive trees and oil represent 15% of the value of agricultural production in Palestine, which is equal to a billion dollars a year.
Concerns
As the harvest season approaches, Palestinian farmers are concerned about the increase of Israeli settlers’ attacks on the Palestinian farms and farmers.
Nimr Zuhdi, a Palestinian farmer from Khirbat Yanun, south-east of Nablus, stated that the Palestinian farmers are insistent on reaching their lands on harvest time despite all the jeopardy imposed by Israelis.
Zuhdi pointed out that the Israeli settlers intercept the Palestinians during the harvest season and let their trained dogs loose to attack them.
They also steal the olives after they are harvested under the protection of Israeli soldiers and police.
Zuhdi called upon the official agencies to take up their responsibility and confront the Israeli targeting of Palestinian lands that harm the Palestinian livelihoods.
Voluntary campaigns
Abu Omar, head of the Palestinian Agricultural Relief committees in Nablus, expressed his concern over the approach of the harvest season as Israeli forces and settlers are used to pursuing and abusing Palestinian farmers each year.
He confirmed that the committee is gathering volunteers to make campaigns to protect the Palestinian farmers.
Abu Omar stated that the IOF prevents the Palestinian farmers from reaching their lands in the harvest seasons, at the pretext that they are closed military areas.
He added that the Israeli violations never end but they escalate in the olive harvest season. He also called on the Palestinian schools, universities and institutions and on Arab and foreign activists to support and take the side of Palestinian farmers in face of the Israeli unjust practices.
