BETHLEHEM, Wednesday, June 19, 2019 (WAFA) – Israeli military bulldozers leveled Palestinian farmlands in Battir town, west of Bethlehem, said a municipal source.

Mayor of Battir, Tayseer Qattush, said that an Israeli military force stormed al-Khimar area, and provided protection for a military bulldozer as it leveled a large tract of farmland belonging to Khalil Abu Ni‘meh, Omar al-Qaisi, and Jawad al-Qaisi.

Battir, six kilometers west of Bethlehem, is on the UNESCO world heritage list due to its ancient terraces and Roman-era irrigation system which is still used by villagers to irrigate their crops.

It is home to a Roman spring and bath, an eco-museum and some hiking trails. Its old town is known as the Seven Widows Quarter.

K.F.