At six in the morning of June 2nd, 2010, Israeli settlers from the settlement of Yizhar set fire to hundreds of acres of Palestinian agricultural land south of Nablus between the villages of Asira and Urif. Palestinians from Asira tried to hold back the settlers with stones but the arrival of the Israeli Occupation Forces allowed the settlers to continue and destroy the agricultural land on the Mount of Suleiman.
Because of the hot weather and the seasonal (Khamseen) dry winds, the fire spread rapidly in large tracts of Palestinian agricultural land planted with olive trees and wheat. The wheat was dry and ready for harvest. Also destroyed were several olive tree saplings that were planted by volunteers in cooperation with several organizations trying to prevent the Israelis from confiscating the land.
Local Palestinians were prevented from putting out the fires as Israeli Occupation Forces fired tear gas at them and failed to stop settlers from firing live ammunition at the villagers attempting to save their land from being completely consumed by the fire.
The fire rapidly approached the village of Asira al-Qiblieh, forcing the family of Ahmed Daoud to evacuate when the flames were 40 meters away from their home. The Daoud family has always been a target of systematic violence due to the Israeli settlersâ futile efforts to drive the Daoud family out of their home. Last year, the settlers broke into the Daoud house, broke their windows and doors, and completely destroyed all of their
belongings.
The day before the Yitzhar settlers succeeded in setting fire to the southern Nablus land, they were stopped from entering the land by villagers of Asira Al-Qiblieh. However, the settlers continued to roam around the
outskirts of the village from four in the afternoon until dawn of June 2nd.