Israel razes Palestinians lands, uproots olive trees in southern West Bank

The Israeli army yesterday razed Palestinian land and uprooted a number of olive trees in the village of Al-Jaba’a, west of Bethlehem, in the southern occupied West Bank.

The head of Al-Jaba’a village council, Diab Masha’leh, told Safa news agency that the Israeli bulldozers razed about ten dunums (2.5 acres) of the Hamdan family’s lands, along with two dunams (0.5 acres) belonging to the Tous family, west of the village.

They also uprooted about 60 olive trees during the operation, he added, and covered the trees stumps with soil to conceal them and prevent anyone from photographing them.

According to Masha’leh, every year Israeli occupation forces confiscate part of the citizens’ lands in the village located along Street 60 which serves nearby illegal settlements.

Earlier on Sunday, the Israeli forces bulldozed four dunums (one acre) of Palestinian-owned land and uprooted around 95 olive trees in the town of Al-Khader to the south of Bethlehem. The area belongs to Issa Ahmed Salah and Daoud Salah.

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