Local sources reported Monday [September 23 2013] that a group of extremist Israeli settlers set ablaze more than 350 Palestinian olive trees that belong to villagers of Sorra and Tal villages, west of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. Settlers also harvested Palestinian orchards near Jenin.Ghassan Daghlas, in charge of Israeli Settlements File at the Palestinian Authority in the northern part of the West Bank, told the Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA), that a number of settlers of the Hafad Gilad illegal outpost, invaded the orchards located in the western valley, and burnt the trees.
Daghlas added that the fire consumed nearly 350 olive trees, and that the attack just comes a few days before the beginning of the Olive harvest season.
More than 200 of the burnt trees belong to Suleiman Abdul-Aziz Hamad, 100 to resident Omar Mustafa Samara, and 50 to Mohammad Fares.
Daghlas further stated that the settlers also burnt Palestinian farmlands that belong to several residents in the area.
The official denounced the attack, and stated that extremist settlers always escalate their attacks against Palestinian orchards and villagers before and during the olive harvest season, and added that the settlers frequently harvest Palestinian orchards and steal the produce.
Also on Monday, settlers of three illegal Israeli settlement outposts, east of the northern West Bank city of Jenin, harvested Palestinian orchards, isolated behind the Annexation Wall, and stole the produce.
The Palestinian News and Info Agency (WAFA) stated that the settlers attacked 12 Dunams (2.96 Acres) planted with Olive trees, and completely harvested them.
Extremists further attacked a Palestinian orchard, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, and uprooted its trees.
In related news, a number of extremist settlers attacked a Palestinian child in Tal Romedia neighborhood, in the center of the southern West bank city of Hebron.
Medical sources said that Israeli army medics provide first aid to the child, Awni Abu Shamsiyya, 13, before he was handed to a Red Crescent Ambulance that took him to the Hebron Governmental Hospital.
The child was bleeding from several parts of his body, including his face and head, the sources added.
