By Malak Hasan

RAMALLAH, June 6, 2011 (WAFA) – A Palestinian official Monday accused the Israeli authorities and settlers of destroying the Palestinian environment through confiscation of forest land to build settlements on and through burning of agricultural land.

Jamil Matawir, deputy chairman of the Palestinian environment authority, told a press conference in Ramallah that the Israeli authorities regularly violates Palestinian environment and Jewish settlers cut down and burn trees, seize lands, attack Palestinians and expel Palestinian farmers after razing their land.

Matawir, who was speaking on the occasion of World Environment Day, summed up the Israeli violations of the Palestinian environment between October 2010 and May 2011 in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

He said major Israeli violations of the environment included the continuous flow of wastewater from Jewish settlements to Palestinian villages and continuous settlers and Israeli army aggression against Palestinian farmers.

Israeli soldiers confiscated land to build and expand Jewish settlements, demolished Palestinian houses, and took over their lands, according to a report published by the environment authority.

The report stated many Israeli violations against Palestinian holy places and archaeological sites in the West Bank and Gaza.

Major violations took place in Gaza such as using internationally prohibited weapons that causes major damage to the environment, stealing water, polluting wells and destroying forests and arable land.

World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated every year on the fifth of June since 1972 when the General Assembly of the United Nations declared WED at the opening of the Stockholm conference on human environment.

M.H./M.A.