January 7, 2014 Israeli occupation forces prevented the citizens of Khirbet Jeb El Theeb east of Bethlehem, and a group of activists from reaching their lands that have been threatened with confiscation for 13 years; during the Million Tree program titled "Home Seedlings" that is lead by the Palestinian Farmers Association and the anti-apartheid Campaign Stop the Wall, with the support of the Arab Society for the Conservation of Nature and funded by the Welfare Association.
After the occupation forces prevented them from reaching their lands, the residents and the volunteers planted olive seedlings near the threatened and fenced lands; affirming that they insist on staying in their lands despite the occupation and settlers' attempts to displace them.
Raafat Al Khandakji, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestinian Farmers Associations, said, that this campaign comes to confirm that we will continue to support Palestinian farmers and their steadfastness against the occupation and its settlers' expansion, and ethnic cleansing, policies that are practiced against the Palestinians, as well as land confiscation to build new settlements.
Khirbet Jeb El Theeb, which lies east of the city of Bethlehem, inhibited by 800 Palestinian citizens, are constantly exposed to harassment by the occupation forces and settlers, where the settlement " Astepar " was built on the lands belonging to Khirbet Jeb El Theeb. The land threatened with confiscation and which the occupation had fenced has an area of 1000 dunums.