- 6 juni 2011
Olive trees burned in fire sparked by tear-gas
JERUSALEM (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces stationed along the separation wall near the Jerusalem-area village of Qatanna fired tear-gas canisters at a group of young farmers on Monday, the heat from which caused a brush fire damaging 40 trees.
The leader of the village council told Ma'an that the brush around the olive grove was dry and caught fire easily, killing 10 trees and damaging 30 others. He said no fire crews had been notified by the forces though they saw the blaze ignite.
An Israeli official said border guards stationed in the area had responded with riot dispersal mechanisms in response to rock throwing.
During the summer of 2010, several fields north of Ramallah caught fire, and in at least two instances protesters were burned when tear-gas canisters fired from high-velocity rifles landed in drought-stricken areas.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=394190 14 jan 2012, 18:35 , Respect -
Bethlehem resident in 30-year fight to defend land
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Maher Mohammed Seb'a says he will stay on his land despite 30 years of harassment, intimidation and bribery by Israeli forces seeking to displace him.
On June 2, Maher said he woke up to find more than 250 of his olive trees destroyed by settlers. He said he was shocked, but not surprised.
An area of agricultural land south of Al-Khader, the Bethlehem-area land known as Khirbet A'liya next to the Jewish-only settlement of Efrata. Built more than seven kilometers inside the West Bank, the illegal settlement has annexed more than 2,000 dunums of private Palestinian land, and thousands more of village lands.
The network of settler-only roads leading to the settlement, and the growing path of construction of Israel’s separation wall have further encroached on the area.
Maher Mohammed Seb'a, 48, has been at the forefront of resisting a campaign by settlers, the Israeli army, and Israeli courts to seize Khirbet A'liya and expand settler infrastructure.
His struggle began in 1982 when his house, built on land his father purchased in 1962, was confiscated by the Israeli army after members of the Palestinian resistance movement used it to fire at soldiers.
In 1998, the Israeli military built a base on part of his land. Through court action, Maher said, he managed to expel them in 2002 by proving his ownership.
Despite the legal success, repeated attacks on his property by settlers followed. In 2004, one such attack nearly resulted in his death when 30 armed settlers assaulted him and his nephew as they worked on the home. The Israeli military eventually intervened in the incident, but informed Maher that he was forbidden to return to the area because his safety could not be guaranteed, he recalls.
After being unable to visit Khirbet A'liya, Maher said he received a a claim from settler groups that they had a deed to the land.
Maher said he complained to Israel's Civil Administration, but was told that since he had not been on the land in years, it had been declared 'absentee property.' It was registered under his father’s name, and his father had long since died.
In order to contest the claim, Maher said, he had to pay 80,000 shekels ($23,285) to transfer ownership to his name.
Now the official owner of the land, Maher said he was offered huge sums of money by the Civil Administration from their offices in the Etzion settlement bloc, to sell up. In addition to being offered over $30 million, he told Ma'an that his family was also offered Israeli passports. He said he declined all of the overtures.
The PA document promising assistance
Despite his refusal to sell the land, Maher said eight dunums were still confiscated, he said in order to build a street to connect to the nearby settlement of Efrata. He was then offered $250,000 to build a street which would pass directly through his land, but again refused the offer, he said.
In his most recent struggle in the Israeli courts, Maher managed to save part of his land from confiscation for construction of the separation wall. He said he is still awaiting a response to an amended plan for the route of the wall, which stopped west of Al-Khader.
He told Ma'an that the Bethlehem governorate had promised to pay him 68,000 shekels ($20,000) to provide his home with power and water, but that he has only received a check of 6,800 shekels to cover part of the cost.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=394945 14 jan 2012, 18:48 , Respect -
Palestinians say gas canisters set fire to village land
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters that started a fire Wednesday and burned acres of olive trees in the occupied West Bank, witnesses said.
Soldiers also fired stun grenades toward fields near the village of Bil'in, near Ramallah, locals said. Villagers tried to put off the fires, but soldiers forbade them from entering and fired more stun grenades at them.
Palestinian civil defense forces sent a fire engine but Israeli forces stopped it from entering, onlookers explained. However, an Israeli fire engine was seen arriving in the same area to put out the fire.
In response to the villagers' claims, the Israeli military confirmed that a stun grenade was used to disperse a "violent riot" but insisted the weapon did not start the fire.
"The stun grenade has been examined and approved by the appropriate authorities as riot dispersal means. Without connection to IDF activity, a fire started on the Israeli side of the security fence in Bilin.
"The fire was put out by Israeli and Palestinian firefighters; the latter's involvement was approved by the IDF and coordinated by the Civil Administration," the military said in a statement.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=397160 14 jan 2012, 18:52 , Respect -
PA official: Settlers burn farmland near Nablus
NABLUS (Ma’an) -- Israeli settlers set fire to Palestinian farmland south of the West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday, a Palestinian official said.
Ghassan Doughlas, a Palestinian Authority official who monitors settlement affairs in the northern West Bank, said the incident occurred near the illegal settlement of Itamar, south of Nablus.
The settlers burned 15 dunnums of farmland of olive trees in an area known as Berkat Al-Marah, which belongs to residents from Roujeeb in the southeast of Nablus, Doughlas said.
He said the settlers deliberately targeted lands belonging to owners Hafeth Suleiman Darwish Dweikat and Ahmad Hafeth Dweikat, and said the residents were present during the attack.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=397365 14 jan 2012, 18:53 , Respect -
Jewish settlers burn olive trees west of Ramallah
RAMALLAH, (PIC)-- Jewish settlers torched tens of Palestinian olive trees in Bilin village land behind the separation wall west of Ramallah city, the popular anti wall committee said in a statement on Thursday.
The statement said that the fire started last night near a Jewish settlement, which was established on Bilin village land.
It pointed out that the Israeli occupation forces stationed at the wall’s gate blocked entry of fire brigades to extinguish the blaze, which led to the spread of fire.
The statement said that young men from the village gathered in front of the gate in a bid to help in putting off the blaze but the IOF soldiers prevented them and fired teargas at them.
The committee held the IOF responsible for providing protection for the settlers and for refusing to remove the wall as ruled by the Israeli high court four years ago.
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Settlers Torch Olive Orchards Near Ramallah
A number of armed extremist Israeli settlers torched on Wednesday at night dozens of olive trees that belong to villagers of Bil’in village, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah. The trees are located in Palestinian orchards isolated behind the Annexation Wall.
The Popular Committee Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements issued a press release on Thursday stating that the torched olives are in the western side of the village, close to the Metatyahu illegal settlement built on orchards illegal annexed from the residents.
The Committee added that Israeli soldiers stationed in the area obstructed the work of local firefighters trying to reach the burning orchards. The orchards became isolated behind the wall and the firefighters were delayed at the Wall gate.
It also stated that dozens of youth gathered near the gate in an attempt to help the firefighters but the army fired gas bombs at them leading to clashes.
The Committee held Israel fully responsible for the attack as the army provides ‘protection’ for the armed settlers instead of stopping their violations and assaults.
On July 9th 2010, the International Court at The Hague ruled that the Israeli Annexation Wall in the West Bank and around occupied East Jerusalem is illegal, and must be removed. It also called for compensating the victims.
The Court said that signatories of the Geneva Convention, including the UK, US, have the responsibility to oblige Israel to uphold the ruling and remove the Wall. Israel ignored the ruling the same way it ignored all Security Council and General Assembly resolutions regarding the Palestinian-Israel and Arab-Israeli conflict.
http://fwd4.me/041p 14 jan 2012, 18:55 , Respect -
Settlers set fire to Palestinian crops, IOF troops burn olive groves
NABLUS, (PIC)-- Extremist Jewish settlers on Thursday torched Palestinian crops in agricultural land belonging to the villagers of Awarta to the south east of the Northern West Bank city of Nablus.
Qais Awwad, head of the village council of Awarta, told the PIC correspondent that settlers from Itamar and Yitzhar settlements were behind the fires in the villagers fields.
Awwad added that seven dunums (1 dunum= 1000 square meters) planted with wheat was affected by the fire before the Palestinian fire brigades managed to control the fire.
He also said that settlers riding cars hurled rocks at Palestinian cars at the main entrance of the village.
Awwad added that villagers’ lands close to the Hawwara military camp are polluted by sewage water from the camp which is purposely disposed of in this way to cause damage to the Palestinian agricultural sector, not to mention the resulting presence of mosquitos and diseases associated with sewage water.
Meanwhile, IOF troops combing areas close to the village of Ya’bad west of the northern West Bank city of Jenin set fire to olive groves on Thursday afternoon resulting in a fire which went out of control.
Local sources said that the IOF troops started the fire and local residents as well as the Palestinian fire brigades fought the fire and managed to put it off, but only after the fire destroyed 30 dunums of olive groves.
http://fwd4.me/048O 14 jan 2012, 18:56 , Respect -
Witnesses: Israeli fire torches Nabi Saleh olive trees
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Israeli troops fired tear gas in An-Nabi Saleh village on Thursday, setting fire to olive trees, witnesses said.
Locals told Ma'an that troops entered the village and fired on houses, breaking into some of the homes and deploying on their rooftops.
Teargas canisters set the trees alight, the witnesses said, adding that villagers threw stones at the Israeli troops' vehicles.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said "violent and illegal riots took place near Nabi Saleh. Rioters hurled rocks towards security forces, who responded with riot dispersal means.
"The gathering was dispersed without injuries or damage. Reported claims of live fire being used and the burning of olive trees, are baseless and have no merit."
The village, abutted by illegal Israeli settlement Hallamish (Neve Zuf), is a focal point of demonstrations against Israel's occupation of the West Bank.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=399421 14 jan 2012, 18:58 , Respect -
Mayor: Israel uproots olive trees in northern West Bank
SALFIT (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces uprooted dozens of olive trees on Tuesday in Deir Istiya in the northern West Bank, local officials told Ma'an.
Village mayor Nazmi Sulaiman said some of the trees uprooted had been planted more than five years ago on land belonging to Kamal Muhammad Abdul Rahman.
The mayor said such procedures were part of an Israeli plan to forces villagers from their land.
The village is close to the illegal Jewish-only Rafafa settlement.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=400659 14 jan 2012, 19:02 , Respect -
Qalqilia: Six Civilians Injured While Settlers Set Fire to Olive Groves
Qalqilia - PNN - Six Palestinian civilians were injured when Israeli soldiers attacked a peaceful protest that demanded the opening of the north entrance of Qaqila in the northern West Bank. At a seperate incident, settlers set fire to an olive grove near the city.
The protest was organized in the village of Qufer Qadum. Villagers were joined by local activists in the city of Qalqilia and marched up to the checkpoint that seperates Qalqilia from the 1948 border line.
Israeli soldiers shot tear gas at protestors, injuring six participants. Local medics reported that all six sustained light injuries and were treated on location.
As people were protesting, a group of Israeli settlers set fire to a nearby olive grove owned by local farmers. According to witnesses the fire destroyed at least two dozen olive trees before Palestinian firefighters managed to turn it off.
http://fwd4.me/05Q0 14 jan 2012, 19:03 , Respect -
Jewish settlers burn Palestinian olive trees
QALQILIA, (PIC)-- Jewish settlers set tens of Palestinian olives trees on fire in Kufr Qaddoum village, near Qalqilia, on Friday as Israeli occupation forces (IOF) wounded six citizens in the same village while quelling a protest march.
The blaze destroyed tens of olive trees before the Palestinian fire brigades managed to extinguish it, local sources reported.
They noted, meanwhile, that IOF soldiers used force to disperse a peaceful march organized by the village’s municipal council to demand opening the northern entrance to the village that connect it to 1948 occupied land.
The sources said that the IOF used teargas to break up the march in which hundreds of citizens participated, adding that six of the participants were treated for breathing difficulty.
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14 jan 2012, 19:03 , Respect -
Fires destroy 200 olive trees in West Bank cities
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- Civil defense crews from several districts in the West Bank were able to control and suppress fires that broke out in the West Bank Thursday morning.
Fires destroyed over 200 olive trees and damaged wheat fields in the villages of Al-Yamoun and Al-Arafa in Jenin, Irtah in Tulkarem, the villages of Bidya and Burin south of Nablus, and Al-Thahriya in Hebron.
It is thought the fires began as a result of negligence by farmers.
Fire crews have to deal with dozens of fires which start in dry grass and agricultural fields, often started deliberately by people.
The civil defense urges the public, especially farmers, not to have open flames close to fields, forests and residential areas because it can lead to extensive damage to property, crops and the environment.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=401216 14 jan 2012, 19:05 , Respect -
Jewish settlers set on fire hundreds of Palestinian olive trees
NABLUS, (PIC)-- Jewish settlers torched hundreds of Palestinian olive trees south of Nablus on Sunday night, local sources said.
They said that tens of settlers from Itamar settlement attacked the olive fields of Aqraba village and set them on fire, destroying 450 trees including 150 that are hundreds of years old.
Jewish settlers’ attacks have recently escalated against citizens’ cultivated land lots especially south of Nablus.
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14 jan 2012, 19:06 , Respect -
Union: Settlers burn olive trees near Nablus
RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- The union of agricultural work committees in the village of Aqraba in Nablus said Monday that residents of the illegal Itamar settlement burned 300 olive trees.
A similar incident was alleged to have occurred several months earlier, it said.
The agricultural committees called on Palestinian Authority officials to intervene to stop violations against farmers, "who are exposed every day to operations of sabotage, destruction and displacement."
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=402295
14 jan 2012, 19:06 , Respect -
PA report: Israeli settler violence on the rise
RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Israeli settler violence against Palestinians increased "dramatically" in June, according to a Palestinian Authority report released Wednesday.
The report documented 139 attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank by the Israeli army and settlers during the month, including the demolition of 95 buildings and over 3600 olive trees and vines.
Fires in the villages of Madama on Tuesday, and in Aqraba on Monday, both near Nablus, were also attributed to settler violence, the report said.
"In the first week of June, settlers burnt 350 trees in Deir al-Hatab village near Nablus, 20 grape vines in Hebron and uprooted 40 grape vines in Beit Ummar village," the report stated.
A spokesperson from the Palestinian government media center said the incidents “are part of a campaign to terrorize Palestinian farmers and their families.”
“When settlers destroy trees by burning or bulldozing, they are destroying a family’s means of earning its living.”
The spokesperson highlighted poor accountability for settler violence saying “such attacks are so frequent that the Israeli authorities must be able to take action if they choose to.
“But there is little evidence of settlers being brought to justice. They seem to be above Israeli law.”
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP he was unaware of any statistics indicating a rise in violence in the West Bank.
"Any reports of violence, whether by settlers or by Palestinians, is investigated and dealt with after an official complaint is received," he said.
Annual figures compiled by Israeli rights group Yesh Din about complaints of settler offenses have repeatedly shown that nine out of 10 police investigations fail to lead to a prosecution.
AFP contributed to this report
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=403082 14 jan 2012, 19:09 , Respect -
IOF soldiers uproot 450 olive trees
SALFIT, (PIC)-- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Monday uprooted 450 olive trees west of Salfit province, local sources reported.
A Palestinian official in the district said that the IOF soldiers blocked farmers from heading to their land in the area after declaring it a closed military zone.
He said that he tried to accompany farmers into their land but the soldiers denied them entry.
He added that the military bulldozer uprooted 450 olive trees and completely destroyed the land lot of Yousef Mustafa Mansour in the process.
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