Israel steals then sells Palestinian farmer’s equipment 

The Israeli occupation authorities have sold a Palestinians farmer’s equipment after it was stolen from his farm in the occupied Jordan Valley, Wafa has reported. Suleiman Bani Odeh was told by the occupation authorities that they had sold the two water tankers taken from him two months ago. The items were sold at a public auction.

Human rights activist Aref Daraghmeh explained that the military authorities impose extortionate fines that the owners of “confiscated” property cannot pay, in order to sell the property at auction. This, he pointed out, is all part of the illegal settlers’ efforts to force Palestinians out of the area. The ethnic cleansing of the people of occupied Palestine is ongoing.

Israeli soldiers regularly shoot at and destroy agricultural land in the area causing considerable damage to crops and preventing farmers from working their fields. Moreover, occupation forces spray toxic substances to kill crops and force the farmers off their land.

READ: Israel settlers chase Palestinian shepherds in Jordan Valley

Earlier this year, Israeli media revealed that the number of settlers in the occupied West Bank and the Jordan Valley has increased by 43 per cent since 2011. Israel Today put the number of settlers at 491,923 as of last January, living in around 150 settlements. This figure excludes the 218,000 settlers living in occupied Jerusalem.

The newspaper suggested that by the end of 2022, the number of settlers in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley could exceed half a million. This figure is a goal set by the settler-run Yesha Council.

Israel has occupied the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Jerusalem since 1967. Human rights abuses against the Palestinians and breaches of international law are daily occurrences. Indeed, all Israeli settlers and settlements are illegal under international law.