Settlers uproot saplings, try to torch vehicle in Salfit

Hardline Israeli settlers today uprooted or chopped off 90 olive saplings and trees for Palestinian farmers today, while others tried to torch a vehicle and puncture its tires in the occupied West Bank province of Salfit, according to local sources.

Jamal Salama, a Palestinian resident of Yasuf village in the province, told WAFA that settlers uprooted 70 olive saplings of his own after they stormed his farm near the village.

Samer Rashed, another Palestinian resident of the village, also told WAFA than some 20 olive trees belonging to him were chopped off by settlers who rampaged into his own farm in the village.

Meantime, another group of Israeli settlers attempted to torch a Palestinian-owned vehicle in the village of Deir Istiya in Salfit province.

Moath Salman, the mayor of the village, told WAFA that a group of Israeli settlers poured an inflammatory liquid into the vehicle of Hamed Musa Awad, a local Palestinian citizen, and assaulted him.

The latest attacks occurred only a few hours after Israeli settlers uprooted hundreds of olive saplings belonging to the villagers of Deir Sharaf in Nablus province.

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

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 & Information Agency