JERUSALEM, December 28, 2025 (WAFA) — Israeli colonists cut down around 40 olive trees overnight in the town of Mekhmas, north of occupied Jerusalem, according to local sources.

Witnesses told WAFA that a group of Israeli colonists stormed the Khallat al-Sidra area of the town and deliberately cut and destroyed the trees.

The attack comes amid escalating assaults targeting Palestinian farmers and their land in the area. Israeli colonists have recently established a colonial outpost near Mekhmas, which residents say has been used as a gathering point and planning site for repeated attacks.

Olive trees are a vital source of income and a key symbol of livelihood for Palestinian families. Attacks by Israeli colonists on agricultural land, including uprooting and burning trees, have increased in recent years, particularly near colonial outposts, often under the protection or acquiescence of Israeli forces.

M.N