West Bank olive trees uprooted by settlers

Dozens of Israeli settlers have uprooted 400 Palestinian-owned olive trees in the occupied West Bank village of Qusra near Nablus. Some of the trees were owned by the grandfather of Essam Badran, who was killed last by Israeli Occupation Forces during clashes sparked when settlers tried to storm into the Palestinian village. Qusra Village Council has said that settlers from the Ma’ale Efrayim illegal settlement, established on land owned by Palestinians, were responsible for the vandalism. In a statement, the Council added that the trees were owned by a number of local residents.

Like all Palestinian villages in the West Bank, Qusra is a target for settlers’ assaults. These vary from uprooting and burning trees to the annexation of land for the illegal settlements. Settlers have also set fire to local mosques and attacked villagers to prevent them from harvesting the olive and other crops.