Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli settlers have uprooted 28,000 olive trees in the occupied West Bank so far this year, a vital part of the Palestinian economy.
International media reported that local Palestinians heard the sound of electric saws and rushed to the scene where settlers were uprooting trees. The number has gone up to 28,000 this year after being culled.
Israeli settlers cut off some 70 olive trees in Qaryout, south of Nablus, according to locals, who said they went to the land after they heard the sound of electric saws… Activists estimate settlers destroyed nearly 2,800 trees in the occupied West Bank since the start of 2023. pic.twitter.com/aLm4OiL7gJ
— Rania Zabaneh (@RZabaneh) April 11, 2023
Israel has uprooted 800,000 olive trees in Palestine since 1967. Olives are a key component of the Palestinian economy, accounting for 14 percent of the entire economy.
From oil distilled from Palestinian olives to soaps and other products, they are exported around the world and used as natural remedies. In addition, agriculture is the basis of Palestine’s exports, so olive production also provides a source of income for the population.
(function(d, s, id){
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;}
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3&appId=770767426360150”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));
(function(d, s, id) {
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) return;
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_GB/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.7”;
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));