A horde of extremist Jewish settlers wreaked havoc on hundreds of olive and almond trees in Yatta town south of al-Khalil in the occupied West Bank on Saturday evening.
Local official Rateb al-Jabour said that settlers from Maon settlement and Havat Maon outpost uprooted and destroyed 300 olive and almond trees in groves belonging to Palestinian farmers in Yatta town.
Jabour added that the settlers also caused widespread damage to winter crops after grazing their cattle on five dunums of cultivated land belonging to the family of ash-Shawahin in Khilat ad-Daba hamlet in Masafer Yatta south of al-Khalil.
He pointed out that Israeli soldiers provided protection for the settlers during their presence on the farmer’s lands arrested a local resident from the family of ash-Shawahin and confiscated some cars belonging to other citizens in the area.
In a separate incident the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) placed on the same day concrete blocks on the main road between the towns of Burqa and Silat ad-Dhaher (Jenin-Nablus road).
According to local sources the IOF blocked the road to provide protection for extremist settlers who repeatedly storm the area and the evacuated site of Homesh outpost to launch attacks on Palestinian citizens cars and property.
