HEBRON, Thursday, January 10, 2019 (WAFA) – Israeli settlers Thursday uprooted over 30 saplings belonging to Palestinian farmers in Tarqumiya town, west of Hebron, said a local official.

Head of the Agricultural Damage Documentation Section Hashem Badarin confirmed to WAFA that settlers from the nearby Telem settlement destroyed and uprooted over 30 olive, grape and almond trees belonging to the al-Ja‘afra family in al-Tayba area.

Badarn saw the saplings uprooted after he and Shadi Fannun, who represents the Palestinian Agricultural Risk Reduction and Insurance Fund, made an inspection visit to the area.

Settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities.

Settlers‘ violence includes property and mosque arsons, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, attacks on vulnerable homes, among others.

Between 500,000 and 600,000 Israelis live in Jewish-only settlements across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank in violation of international law.

All settlements across the West Bank are illegal under international law, particularly article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which establishes that the occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.

K.F.