Hebron: Israeli forces prevented Palestinian farmers from harvesting olives in the town of Sa’ir, northeast of Hebron.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA, Israeli troops stormed the Sa’ir Valley, stopped farmers from collecting olives, and instructed them to leave the area.
Farmer Issa Shalaldeh stated that Israeli forces have been restricting farmers’ access to their lands for over a month, labeling the area a closed military zone and prohibiting entry. He mentioned that residents face regular assaults from groups identified as the Hilltop Youth, who damage trees and property, creating a hazardous environment for the locals.
Earlier this month, colonists from the Asfar and Kodufim settlements, which are built on the town’s lands, destroyed over 200 olive trees and more than 100 almond trees with electric saws in the Umm al-Batm area of Wadi Sa’ir. Last September, these groups reportedly set fire to numerous dunams of land cultivated with grapevines, olives, and almond trees, as part of ongoing efforts to displace residents for colonial expansion.