Israel forces, Jewish settlers bulldoze agricultural land, raid Palestinian school

Middle East Monitor  /  August 14, 2023

Israeli occupation forces attacked and bulldozed agricultural tents and stone walls this morning used by Palestinian farmers in Beit Sira village, west of Ramallah, during the cultivation season.

According to WAFA news agency, the military reinforcements accompanying the occupying forces stormed the outskirts of the town and began the demolitions under the pretext that the rooms and walls were situated in close proximity to the illegal Wall.

In addition to this, local authorities reported that the olive saplings planted in an approximately six dunum area owned by residents were also uprooted by the occupying forces.

The olive harvest is the main source of income for thousands of Palestinian households. Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers have been responsible for destroying thousands of olive trees in the occupied territories over the years, primarily around harvest season to maximize the damage and impact on the owners.

Meanwhile, Jewish settlers stormed a Palestinian school in the central occupied West Bank yesterday, smashing windows and vandalizing fixtures and fittings, WAFA reported.

Ras al-Tin School, based east of Ramallah is threatened with demolition by the Israeli occupation army. In October 2020, the Israeli authorities decided to demolish the school, under the pretext that it is located in an area under full Israeli control, and construction is prohibited for any reason, even for educational purposes.