Gaza: Colonists early today cut down and damaged around 450 fruit-bearing guava trees and destroyed parts of irrigation networks and fencing surrounding agricultural land in Khirbet Firasin, in the Yabad area, southwest of Jenin, according to the landowner.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the landowner, Ali Amarneh, revealed that the targeted trees were planted about three years ago and were expected to yield fruit this season, following extensive efforts by his family to reclaim, cultivate, and tend to the land.
Amarneh noted that this was not the first time his land had been targeted by colonists, recalling a previous attack that destroyed olive trees on the same plot. After the olive trees were uprooted, he reclaimed the land and replanted it with guava trees.
He reported that colonists from the Hermesh colony, illegally built on private Palestinian land in the area, raided the property overnight, with the full extent of the damage becoming apparent only this morning.
He detailed how the colonists not only cut down and vandalized the trees, but also destroyed the irrigation networks and perimeter fencing. The raid caused severe material damage to the farm, which serves as a vital source of livelihood for his family.
The incident occurs amid an escalation of colonist raids on Palestinian agricultural properties in Yabad, Khirbet Firasin, and the surrounding areas. These repeated incursions are aimed at restricting local farmers and preventing them from accessing or cultivating their lands.