Israeli occupiers set fire to 1 hectare of Palestinian olive groves under army protection

Israeli occupiers set fire to around 1 hectare of Palestinian olive farmland in the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, on Friday, according to local officials and witnesses.

Saleh Kanaan, head of Burqa’s village council, told Anadolu Agency that dozens of occupiers attacked the village while the Israeli army closed its main entrance and several secondary roads, restricting the movement of Palestinian residents.

Kanaan said the occupiers set fire to agricultural land in the southeastern part of the village, damaging around 1 hectare of olive groves.

Witnesses said Israeli forces were heavily deployed around the village during the attack and detained several Palestinian youths, while the assault extended to areas near homes.

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They added that clashes broke out between Palestinian residents and the occupiers, with no immediate reports of injuries or additional damage.

Since Oct. 8, 2023, the occupied West Bank has witnessed intensified violence by Israeli forces and occupiers, killing 1,173 Palestinians, injuring 12,666 others, arresting around 23,000 and displacing 33,000, according to official Palestinian figures.

Palestinians warn that the escalating violence is paving the way for Israel to formally annex the West Bank, effectively ending the possibility of establishing an independent Palestinian state under UN resolutions.

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