Settlers establish new outposts, torch swaths of land in West Bank

Extremist Jewish settlers established new illegal outposts and set fire to swaths of agricultural land in different Palestinian areas of the occupied West Bank today, the Palestinian Information Centre reported.

According to local sources, a settler established a grazing outpost near the archaeological site in the Wadi Ayoun Al-Haramiya area, north Ramallah.

The sources explained that an armed settler seized an olive grove belonging to a Palestinian citizen in the area, placed an Israeli flag on its stone fence and allowed his sheep to graze on the land.

In Hebron, a group of settlers placed mobile homes in the central area of Birin village, southeast of the province.

The total area of Birin was 5,000 dunums (500 hectares), but only 800 dunums (80 hectares) remain accessible to local residents after the Israeli occupation authority annexed vast tracts of its land under different pretexts.

Yesterday, a group of settlers pitched tents on swaths of Palestinian-owned land in the Nabi Yunis area of Sa’ir town, northeast of Hebron, as a prelude to building a new outpost. The settlers were protected by armed Israeli occupation forces.

In other incidents, extremist settlers torched swaths of agricultural land belonging to Palestinian citizens in the area between the villages of Al-Mughayir and Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah.

Yesterday, settlers also set fire to swaths of land near Kafr Malik village, northeast of Ramallah.

In Salfit, other settlers set aflame swaths of Palestinian-owned land in the northwestern area of Haris town near the illegal settlement of Revava. The fire spread over a wide area before it was brought under control and extinguished.