SALFIT, July 24, 2016 (WAFA) – Israeli settlers Sunday broke into Kifl Haris town to the north of the West Bank district of Salfit and proceeded to desecrate the Islamic shrines there.

Witnesses said a large number of settlers broke into the town in the predawn hours, and proceeded to ‘intentionally provoke’ the town’s locals by performing religious rituals on the Islamic sites.

Israeli military soldiers reportedly provided the settlers with protection and secured their entrance and exit out of the town, causing a state of tension among the town’s locals.

Head of Kafl Hares municipality, Abdel-Rahim Bothyeh, said the religious sites there are constantly subjected to destruction and desecration by settlers; settlers have previously set fire to the sites.

According to POICA, “Religious sites of Kifl Haris town, north Salfit governorate are considered the living example of area‘s long history. The town accommodates three religious shrines namely (Thu Al-Kifl, Thu Al-Noon, and shrine of Joshua). This is how the area acquired religious importance throughout the eras.”

The village of Kifl Haris witnessed on May 05, 2016 an attack carried out by colonists, who broke into the area in buses and sabotaged the shrine of Thu Al-Kifl. At time of the attack, colonists print sprayed hatful slogans that call to "kill all Arabs" and " revenge".

Kifl Haris is surrounded by the villages of  Deir Istiya, Zeita, Jamma‘in and Haris. With a total area of 9,254 dunums, of which 786 dunums is the village‘s a, Kifl Haris is inhabited by 3,248 people.

The Israeli occupation devoured 278 dunums of Kifl Haris lands for the construction of Ariel colony. Part of Samaria Road was built on Kifl Haris with an area of 2, 7770 km.

T.R.