On Monday, it was reported that illegal Israeli immigrants in Palestine have started building a road to the west of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank. This development comes after reports of them setting fire to Palestinian crops under the protection of the Israeli army.
According to the Palestinian News and Information Agency, a group of illegal immigrants from Israel are constructing a road on land owned by Palestinians in the village of Husan. The news outlet, also known as WAFA and the official state-run news agency of the Palestinian National Authority, reported this development.
According to the news agency, Rami Hamamreh, who serves as the director of the Husan village council, reported that illegal Israeli immigrants have started excavating land near the Sidi Bo’az colony. This area has been a hotbed of conflict between settlers and Palestinian farmers, with reports of the former attacking and killing the latter dating back to 2017.
According to international law, the presence of Israeli settlers in the West Bank is considered illegal and violates the Fourth Geneva Convention. The settlements result in the displacement of Palestinian communities, expropriation of land, and frequent conflicts.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank have been a major obstacle to peace efforts in the region. The presence of settlers has made it difficult to achieve a lasting peace, and has contributed to a cycle of violence that has plagued the area for decades. The Israeli government’s support for these settlements only serves to exacerbate tensions and further undermine the prospects for a two-state solution. It is clear that the settlement issue must be addressed if there is to be any hope for a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
According to WAFA, a farmhouse and an olive tree grove were set ablaze by illegal Israeli settlers in the Dhahr Al-Abed village located west of Jenin. Additionally, in Palestinian farmland near Ramallah, these same settlers have also reportedly been responsible for cutting down a grove of olive trees.
According to Hafez Saleh, the head of the village council, a cluster of unlawful Israeli immigrants deliberately set fire to crops on a piece of land near the town of Asira al-Qibliya, which is situated south of Nablus. The settlers went on to claim the land and hoisted the Israeli flag as a sign of their ownership.
Critics of the decades-long conflict have long condemned the act of burning Palestinian crops, even prior to the recent attack by Hamas on October 7. In fact, as early as 2018, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz referred to this practice as “farm warfare.”
Israeli forces have been responsible for the destruction of 57% of agricultural land in Gaza, contributing to the devastation of the region’s natural resources.
Palestinians are faced with a difficult situation as they have little economic stability or relief due to the practice, leaving them at the mercy of Israel or aid groups. In 2022, Gaza was only able to export $44.6 million worth of produce, primarily to the West Bank and Israel.
