Illegal Israeli paramilitary colonizers assaulted peace activists early Monday in Shallal al-Auja, north of Jericho in the northeastern part of the occupied West Bank, injuring several people, in addition to cutting 120 olive trees near Ramallah, in central West Bank.
Hassan Mleihat, general coordinator of Al-Baydar Rights Organization, said the colonizers stormed the village, beat residents and solidarity activists, wounded several international peace activists.
Mleihat added that the attacks aim to break Palestinian resolve and forcibly displace communities to expand colonies.
Separately, colonizers cut down 120 olive trees late Sunday in Marj Si’ plain between al-Mughayyir and Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah in the central West Bank. The trees, over 60 years old, belonged to local villagers.
On Sunday, Israeli colonizers escalated their assaults on Palestinian farmland across the occupied West Bank, uprooting ancient olive trees, stealing harvests, and deepening their grip on seized agricultural areas.
On Saturday, Israeli colonizers opened fire towards Palestinians near Nablus, while occupation forces abducted an international activist in Masafer Yatta.
Also Saturday, Israeli colonizers launched several incursions across multiple areas of the occupied West Bank’s Northern Plains, targeting Palestinian communities and infrastructure.
Earlier in the day, Israeli colonizers carried out coordinated attacks in two areas of the occupied West Bank—Masafer Yatta near Hebron in the south, and Al-Auja near Jericho in the northeast.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces and colonizers have uprooted or damaged 48,728 trees, including 37,237 olive trees, according to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.
All of Israel’s colonies in the occupied West Bank, including those in and around occupied East Jerusalem, are illegal under International Law, the Fourth Geneva Convention in addition to various United Nations and Security Council resolutions. They also constitute war crimes under International Law.
Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits collective punishment and acts of terror against civilian populations.
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory”.
Articles 53 and 147, prohibit the destruction of civilian property and classify pillage as a war crime.
