Israeli settlers chop off olive trees, harass herders in Salfit

Hardline Israeli settlers today uprooted or chopped off nearly 15 olive saplings and harassed Palestinian sheep herders in the occupied West Bank province of Salfit, according to local sources.

Witnesses told WAFA that settlers uprooted and chopped off nearly 15 olive saplings in the village of Yasuf after they sneaked into a ranch owned by Ziad Abdelrazeq, a local Palestinian citizen.

Meantime, settlers accompanied by an army force harassed and assaulted Palestinian sheep herders near the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan in the province. No injuries were reported.

Although violence and vandalism by Israeli settlers are commonplace throughout the year, attacks and acts of vandalism by Israeli settlers intensified during the past three months across the occupied West Bank, especially in the north of the territory.

Israeli settler violence against Palestinians and their property is routine in the West Bank and is rarely prosecuted by Israeli occupation authorities.

There are over 650,000 Israeli settlers living in colonial settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in violation of international law and consensus.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)