HEBRON, Thursday, December 24, 2020 (WAFA) – Israeli settlers Thursday dozens of olive trees in the locality of At-Tuwani, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, according to sources.

Coordinator of the Anti-Wall and Settlement Committees Rateb Jbour said that a group of settlers from the illegal Israeli colonial settlement of Maon uprooted and stole some 35 olive trees belonging to the al-Arini family in the locality, east of Yatta town.

At-Tuwani 14 kilometers south of Hebron, At-Tuwani locality consists of two hamlets, and together with Masafer Yatta, a collection of almost 19 hamlets, cover 37,500 donums, and rely heavily on animal husbandry as the main source of livelihood.

Located in Area C of the West Bank, under full Israeli administrative and military control, the area has been subjected to repeated Israeli violations by settlers and soldiers targeting their main source of living - livestock.

It has been designated as a closed Israeli military zone for training since 1980s and accordingly referred to as Firing Zone 918.

Israeli violations against the area include demolition of animal barns, homes and residential structures. Issuance of construction permits by Israel to local Palestinians in the area is non-existent.

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.T./ K.F.