Ja’far Eshtiyya, member of Salem village council, east of Nablus, reported that dozens of settlers of Alone Moreh settlement burnt olive orchards in 180 Dunams, in Al Shifa area, while the army which is intensively present in the area did not attempt to stop them or even put the fire off.
Dozens of residents rushed to the burnt orchards in an attempt to control the fire and stop it from spreading to the neighboring farmlands.
Eshtiyya stated that the burnt Olive orchards belong to Fawazat Eshtiyya, Waleed Eshtiyya, and Adel Odeh.
Nasser Eshtiyya, a cameraman at the Associated Press, said that this is not the first attack carried out by the settlers in this area. The settlers repeatedly attempted to burn the orchards and used electric saws to cut the trees in orchards which belong to residents of Azmout and Dir Al Hatab near Nablus.
Over the last few days, the settlers burnt farmlands planted with seeds, olive and almond trees, in Nablus area, causing significant losses.
Recently, a settlers group burnt seven Dunams, planted with wheat, which belong to resident Mohammad Dhmeidy from Huwwara village near Nablus. Similar attacks were reported in Al Sawiya and Al Lubban areas in Nablus.
Last year, settlers of Alone Moreh settlement hurled a Molotov Cocktail at farmlands planted with wheat in Al Bathan area, and burnt other farmlands in Jaloud and Qaryout villages, south of Nablus.
“The burnt land” policy is used by the settlers each time they plan to expand their settlements or outposts and as an act of revenge whenever there is an attack against settlers in the occupied territories.
Burning the trees during harvest seasons causes significant damage to the fields and considerable losses to the residents who depend on their farmland as their only source of livelihood.
