Israeli authorities raze 40 olive trees in occupied West Bank

Israeli occupation authorities uprooted 40 olive trees from Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank on Monday morning.

Witnesses reported that Israeli bulldozers razed the trees to clear the way for a new street that will service an Israeli settlement in the West Bank city of Beit Jala.

The owner of the trees, Hisham Abu-Ali, said: “The Israeli authorities had previously swept the area and uprooted 15 olive trees” in order to make way for a Jewish national park that they plan to annex to Israeli settlements in the area.

Abu-Ali continued: “Then they came today [Monday] and uprooted another 40 olive trees.”

The occupation authorities razed Abu-Ali’s property and livelihood to reportedly make way for a street that will connect the settler route 60 to the Kremzan Monastery.

Ever since Israel began its occupation of the West Bank in 1967, the occupation authorities have used various rationales to systemically destroy Palestinian livelihoods, demolish Palestinian homes, and steal Palestinian land, usually for infrastructural projects that benefit Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law.