The Israeli army burnt hundreds of square kilometers of land belonging to Palestinian farmers in order to expand the Tal Zeâev settlement, south of Hebron city. Over 2000 ancient olive trees, along with citrus and almonds trees were left to burn last week as the Israeli army refused to let the fire brigade attend the fire. In a mocking gesture, they only let the firemen through five hours after the fire had raged through the orchards.
***image2***Further dispossession has affected a series of farmers in Hebron district. South east of Hebron, Ibrahim Abu Sharah from the village of Ifqeqis has been ordered to leave his agricultural greenhouse when the occupation claimed he had no permit for its construction. The greenhouse is 1km from an illegal settlement, Hagai, which has been built on Palestinian stolen land. Qadim al Hallaq, a farmer from the village of Al Rihya, south of the Najihod settlement, has been ordered by the Israeli army to leave his land. No reason was given. Over 50km2 was taken, which the farmer, Qadim al Hallaq, had planted with olives and citrus trees.
The Zionist policies of land destruction and denial of access to fields and orchards is part of the overall scheme to prepare continuously more land for conquest and colonization.