BETHLEHEM, February 2, 2026 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation forces uprooted around 200 mature grapevines on Monday in the town of Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem, according to local sources.

Deputy mayor of Al-Khader, Husni Issa, told WAFA that Israeli bulldozers carried out land leveling in the Um Rukba area, resulting in the uprooting of approximately 200 grape trees owned by residents Mohammad Ghrayyeb and Hassan Salah. He noted that the two landowners had previously been notified that their land would be seized for colonial purposes.

Issa added that Israeli forces have recently intensified repeated assaults in the Um Rukba area, including house demolitions, stop-work orders, the demolition of agricultural structures, and land leveling, as part of systematic colonial policies aimed at expanding control over the area.

The Um Rukba area, like other parts of Al-Khader, has faced sustained pressure from Israeli authorities and colonists in recent years through land confiscation, restrictions on construction, and agricultural destruction, threatening the livelihoods of local Palestinian families who depend on farming as a primary source of income.

M.N