Israeli aggression depletes olive trees in West Bank, leaving losses exceeding $761,000

WEST BANK, Feb. 14 (YPA) – The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture documented the uprooting and destruction of 777 trees in various areas of the occupied West Bank within one week as a result of “Israeli” attacks, estimating the volume of losses at more than $761,000.

In a report released on Saturday, the Ministry stated that the period between February 5 and 11 saw a noticeable escalation in violations against the agricultural sector. These included the bulldozing of agricultural lands, sabotage of water sources, and destruction of infrastructure, in addition to attacks carried out by Zionist settlers targeting crops and property and preventing Palestinian farmers from accessing their lands.

The Ministry explained that most of the damaged trees were olives, while the Hebron and Nablus governorates incurred the largest share of damages. It considered these attacks part of a policy aimed at undermining the foundations of Palestinian agricultural resilience and draining productive resources, especially in areas classified as (C).

According to the Oslo II Accord (1995), Area C—which constitutes about 60% of the West Bank’s area—is under full Israeli occupation force control, and Palestinians are prohibited from making any changes within it without permits that are rarely granted.

In a related context, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission stated that Israeli occupation forces and settlers carried out 1,872 attacks in the West Bank during last January, including 1,404 attacks by the army and 468 by settlers.

Since October 8, 2023, Israeli occupation attacks in the West Bank have escalated in parallel with the aggression on Gaza, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 1,112 Palestinians, the injuring of about 11,500, and the arrest of nearly 22,000, amid Palestinian fears of paving the way for the formal annexation of the West Bank.

YPA