Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Wednesday demolished two coal-production facilities and seized several tons of wood in Ya’bad town to the southwest of Jenin local sources reported.
Representative of coal workshops in Ya’bad Kayed Abu Baker said that an Israeli force accompanied by bulldozers broke into the area and confiscated several tons of wood used for manufacturing charcoal.
In an interview with Quds Press Abu Baker added that the Israeli bulldozers swept away huge amounts of coal that were still under manufacturing causing a fire in the neighboring lands.
Abu Baker explained that Palestinian coal-production workshops are targeted at the request of Israeli settlers in the nearby settlements who claim that these workshops pollute the environment and cause health problems.
Abu Baker stressed in previous statements that Israeli settlers invent false excuses to seize more Palestinian lands in favor of expanding settlements.
He pointed to the existence of similar coal plants in the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories near the Israeli population centers yet no complaints are raised against them.
He noted that there are more than 30 coal-production workshops in the area which are repeatedly targeted by the IOF and which represent the main source of income for more than 1000 Palestinian families living in Ya’bad and the surrounding villages.
The Palestinian unionist affirmed that the demolition on Wednesday took place without a prior warning adding that owners of coal-production facilities in the area had previously filed complaints to human rights organizations and courts about the Israeli targeting of their facilities without reaching any positive result.
He continued that they will keep in contact with the concerned authorities to take the necessary legal steps against these violations.
