The Palestinian Popular (Folk) Committees issued a statement on Wednesday slamming the Israeli army for barring dozens of farmers from reaching their lands located close to the Annexation Wall west of the northern West Bank city of Jenin.The farmers were from Zabouba village, west of Jenin. They were trying to enter their orchards located near the Wall but were barred by the army. Their lands are planted with Olive trees, almonds and other plants.
Azmi Shiokhy, secretary-general of the Committees stated that the army is flooding the orchards with waste-water from a nearby military camp which polluted springs used for drinking water and badly affected the plants.
He added that the residents are not allowed to enter their orchards that became isolated behind the Wall, and voiced an appeal to human rights groups to intervene and practice pressure on the Israeli Authorities to grant the residents access to their lands in order to plant and harvest them.
