BETHLEHEM, (PIC)
Armed settlers attacked on Tuesday Palestinian citizens and agricultural lands in Salfit, Bethlehem and Al-Khalil under the protection of Israeli occupation forces (IOF).
Local sources reported that settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in the Khalayel Al-Loze area, southeast of Bethlehem, and bulldozed an agricultural land owned by the Abu Kamil family.
The sources explained that armed settlers stormed the land planted with olive trees and bulldozed it using an agricultural tractor.
The sources pointed out that when the landowners tried to confront the settlers and stop the bulldozing operation, the IOF intervened by firing bullets in the air and detaining a farmer along with two of his sons, in addition to two members of the Abu Kamil family, before releasing them later.
Meanwhile, fanatic settlers caused damage to olive trees and stole olives in the village of Yasuf, east of Salfit.
Palestinian farmers reported that a number of settlers from “Tafuh” and “Rahalim” illegal settlements broke olive trees and stole their fruits in the “Abu al-Qaseeb” area, east of the village.
They pointed out that dozens of settlers stormed the same area yesterday and caused damage to its olive trees, noting that the citizens have not yet been able to reach their lands and assess the damage.
In Al-Khalil in southern West Bank, an armed settler attacked citizens near the Abu Al-Arqan area, south of the city.
Eyewitnesses said that an armed settler blocked the road with his vehicle in front of the citizens near the Abu al-Arqan area, prevented them from passing, brandished his gun, and threatened to kill them.
They added that the attacking settler has been moving for hours on that road searching for citizens’ vehicles and trying to approach them while brandishing his gun in their faces.
Since the start of the olive harvest season, in mid-October, the settlers and IOF have escalated their attacks on Palestinian farmers across the West Bank, in an attempt to force them to leave their lands and properties.
Meanwhile, Hamas leader Abdulrahman Shadid has called for confronting the Israeli settlers and their attacks in the West Bank.
He said in a statement on Tuesday that all forces and masses in the West Bank should act to confront the settlers and their barbaric attacks.
The escalation of settlers’ crimes against farmers and olive pickers is part of the Israeli fanatic government’s policy of genocide and forced displacement against the Palestinian people, Shadid said, affirming that the “terror attacks” would only boost the Palestinians’ steadfastness and insistence on remaining on their land and on backing the resistance option.
