A group of Israeli settlers planted, on Thursday morning, Palestinian land that they illegally took over three months ago, near Al-Khader town, in the Bethlehem district.Coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Al-Khader, Ahmad Salah, said that the settlers were seen planting 5 Dunams of farmland that they illegally occupied three months ago, the Palestine News & Info Agency (WAFA) reported.
After noticing Salah and members of the Committee who were touring the area, the settlers ran away, but returned later on in a larger group accompanied by dogs, and forced them away.
Salah added that the land belongs to resident Suleiman Hammad Salah, and is located in Ein Al-Qassis area, west of Al-Khader.
Salah added that the Ein Al-Qassis area is subject to frequent attacks by the settlers who recently stepped-up their assaults against the resident sand their lands in order to expand and construct illegal outposts.
He also stated that the residents are facing obstacles in harvesting their grapes due to the escalated attacks carried out by the settlers.
Salah further reported that Israel illegally annexed more than 300 Dunams of agricultural Palestinian lands in the area.
In other news, undercover forces of the Israeli army kidnapped, on Thursday at dawn, a young Palestinian man in Borqeen town, west of the northern West Bank city of Jenin.
Local sources reported that the undercover forces infiltrated into the town driving a car that carries Palestinian license plates, and kidnapped Tareq Ibrahim Abu Shadouf, 22, after breaking into his family’s home and violently searching it.
