Israeli military prevents farmers from harvesting olives

Wednesday October 08, 2008 16:51 by IMEMC Staff - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli military prevented on Wednesday several Palestinian farmers in the West Bank villages of Masha and Azzawiya from reaching their farm lands.

An Olive Tree

Hani Amer, one of the prevented farmers, told Wafa News Agency that the Israeli troops erected a fence-off wall around three dunums of his farm land of olive trees , pointing out that the farmers were about to harvest olives when the soldiers were deployed in the area.

He added that tens of farmers have been recently prevented from reaching their farm lands, especially under the olives harvest season.

Worthy to mention, the agriculture minister of the ruling Hamas party in Gaza , Mohamad Alagha, warned yesterday of what he described 'Israeli occupation attempts to devastate the olive harvest season' .

Palestine is considered to be one of the olive-producing countries worldwide, where olives constitute a major source of income and principal food item for the population.

Since the eruption of Palestinian-Israeli violence in September2000, the Israeli military has uprooted tens of thousands of olive trees, either for building a separation barrier or for expanding illegal settlements already exist on occupied Palestinian lands.

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