Israeli occupation forces bulldozed agricultural land in the town of Turmus Ayya, north of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank, on Sunday, as part of an ongoing campaign of land clearing around a recently established colonialist outpost west of the town.
Local sources said Israeli forces invaded Turmus Ayya, deployed military vehicles through several streets, and carried out bulldozing operations around the home of the Abu Awwad family, leveling agricultural plots and damaging cultivated areas. The soldiers also detained Hamza Jamal Al‑Qateen for a period of time before releasing him.
Residents reported that the bulldozing targeted privately owned farmland that has long served as a primary source of income for local families, many of whom rely on olive cultivation and seasonal agriculture.
According to local monitoring groups, Israeli forces have been conducting continuous bulldozing operations for the past three months, clearing and plowing thousands of dunams of land around Turmus Ayya.
These violations have included the uprooting of more than 4,000 olive trees, many of them decades old, to expand and fortify a settlement outpost established earlier this year on the town’s western side.
Farmers say the outpost, built on privately owned Palestinian land, has rapidly expanded under military protection, with new infrastructure, fencing, and access roads carved into surrounding hillsides.
The ongoing bulldozing has restricted Palestinian access to large agricultural areas and threatens to reshape the landscape around the town.
Municipal officials warn that the destruction of thousands of olive trees will have long‑term economic consequences for Turmus Ayya, where olive cultivation is a central pillar of the local economy.
Residents say the loss of orchards, combined with repeated invasions and land seizures, is part of a broader effort to pressure Palestinian communities and consolidate Israeli control over strategic areas north of Ramallah.
Local families expect bulldozing operations to continue, as Israeli forces have maintained a near‑daily presence around the settlement outpost and have expanded earthworks deeper into agricultural zones.
