An Israeli settler today plowed a plot of land belonging to Khirbet al-Farisiya, a locale in the northern Jordan Valley, in an apparent prelude to taking over the land, said a local official.
Head of the al-Maleh village council in the Northern Jordan Valley, Mahdi Daraghmeh, said an Israeli settler broke into the area with his tractor and proceeded to bulldoze a plot of land located next to the residence of a local resident.
Residents attempted to fend off the settler, however, Israeli military forces intervened to protect the settler and forced residents out of the area.
“Settler violence has long since become part of Palestinians’ daily life under occupation. Israeli security forces enable these actions, which result in Palestinian casualties – injuries and fatalities – as well as damage to land and property. In some cases, they even serve as an armed escort, or even join in the attacks,” said the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in Occupied Territories, B’Tselem.
“Investigations, if even
opened, are usually closed with no action taken against perpetrators as part of an undeclared policy of leniency. The long-term effect of this violence is the dispossession of Palestinians from increasing parts of the West Bank, making it easier for Israel to take over land and resources,” said B’Tselem.
Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA