RAMALLAH, December 15, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli forces on Monday uprooted around 400 olive trees after launching land-leveling operations on vast tracts of Palestinian citizens’ land in the village of Budrus, west of Ramallah, affecting nearly 35 dunums of agricultural land adjacent to the separation wall.
Abdel Nasser Marar, Head of the Budrus Village Council, told WAFA that Israeli bulldozers stormed the western side of the village along the wall and began extensive bulldozing of lands planted with decades-old olive trees, under heavy protection by occupation forces, who prevented landowners from accessing their property or protesting what was taking place.
Marar said the village council had previously received notices from the occupation authorities ordering the leveling of lands along the wall, and that implementation began on Monday, targeting 35 dunums planted with decades-old olive trees. He noted the area is a key olive-growing zone in the village and a primary source of livelihood for its residents.
He added that the bulldozing was carried out pursuant to a decision by the occupation authorities under the pretext of “security purposes,” a justification repeatedly invoked to take over agricultural land near the wall, deprive farmers of their property, and restrict access to it. He noted that the targeted plots belong to several village families who largely depend on the olive harvest.
Marar emphasized that targeting lands adjacent to the separation wall forms part of a systematic policy to expand buffer zones around the wall and shrink Palestinian agricultural areas, inflicting heavy economic losses on farmers and undermining the livelihood security of affected families.
The village of Budrus has for years been subjected to ongoing violations by Israeli occupation forces, largely concentrated in areas adjacent to the separation wall. These include land-leveling, tree uprooting, and barring farmers from reaching their lands, as part of a policy aimed at imposing new facts on the ground and eroding the Palestinian agricultural presence.
T.R.
