HEBRON, February 14, 2025 (WAFA) – Dozens of Israeli colonists, under the protection of Israeli occupation forces, planted trees on Palestinian-owned land in the Masafer Yatta area, located to the south of Hebron, this Friday.

Osama Makhamra, a local activist, reported to WAFA that the colonists planted the trees near the homes of Palestinians in the village of Khirbet Um Al-Khair, a part of Masafer Yatta area. This move followed excavations carried out in the area two weeks earlier, and the colonists raised Israeli flags in preparation to seize the land.

The colonists also planted trees in the Beirin area, east of Hebron, on lands belonging to Palestinian citizens, Makhamra added.

Colonists have intensified their attacks on Palestinian residents and their property in Masafer Yatta. They have blocked residents' access to their fields and pastures, releasing their herds of livestock onto Palestinian lands, destroying large areas of wheat and barley crops. 

These acts of aggression are part of an ongoing campaign to pressure Palestinian farmers and shepherds, aiming to force them off their land to facilitate further land grabs for colonial expansion.

M.N