NABLUS, Friday, December 18, 2020 (WAFA) – Israeli settlers today destroyed water pipelines and trees in al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya village, south of Nablus city, according to a local source.

Khaled Daraghmeh, a local landowner, said that a group of settlers stormed his plot of land, known as Khan al-Laban area, famous for its water spring, in the village, destroying doors, water pipelines and his orange trees.

The settlers came from the nearby colonial settlement of Ma'ale Levona, established in 1983 on the villagers’ lands.

Daraghmeh pointed to the fact that Khan al-Laban, which dates back to the Ottoman era and covers an area of 300 donums, has been subject to frequent attack by settler, who enjoy the protection of the Israeli military, in order to seize as it is located in the area connecting the colonial settlements of Alie and Ma'ale Levona.

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.

There are over 700,000 Israeli settlers living in colonial settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in violation of international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention.

K.F.