On Friday, a group of illegal paramilitary Israeli colonizers invaded a Palestinian olive orchard in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, and uprooted olive saplings.
Local media activist Osama Makhamra reported that the colonizers cut down dozens of olive saplings and destroyed the fence surrounding the orchard.
Makhamra added that the olive orchard, owned by the Al-Hathalin family, is in the Um al-Kheir area of Masafer Yatta and has been subjected to frequent similar violations.
Additionally, another group of colonizers released their livestock to graze on Palestinian lands owned by the Shawahin family in the Wadi Al-Jawaya area.
The colonizers also harassed the family of Farid Al-Hamamra and raised Israeli flags on privately-owned Palestinian lands.
In related incidents, dozens of colonizers invaded olive orchards in the Marah Al-Biqar area, southwest of Doura town, also in the Hebron district. Israeli soldiers closed off the area, preventing Palestinians from accessing their lands.
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 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states: “The Occupying Power [Israel] shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies [Palestine].” It also prohibits the “individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory”.
