Day: 22 January 2023

Extremist Israeli settlers today uprooted and chopped off nearly 350 olive trees belonging to a Palestinian farmer in the village of Jit, to the east of Qalqilia in the occupied West Bank, according to local sources.

Ahmad Faruq Sedda, a local Palestinian resident, told WAFA that a group of Israeli settlers from the colonial Israeli settlement of Kedumim, nearby, sneaked into his brother’s land near the village and chopped off 350 olive trees belonging to the latter, some of which are more than 13 years old.

Violence and acts of vandalism by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property are routine in the West Bank, and are rarely prosecuted by Israeli occupation authorities.

There are over 650,000 Israeli settlers living in colonial settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in violation of international law and consensus.

Source: Palestine News & Information Agency

Israeli occupation’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today fired Shas leader Aryeh Deri from his position as Minister of Health and Interior in the new far-right government.

The decision follows a High Court ruling barring Deri from the post, due both to his past criminal convictions and his promise to resign from political life as part of a plea last year after his conviction for tax offenses.

Netanyahu said during the cabinet session that the firing comes with “a heavy heart” and “great sorrow”, and that he would find a “legal way” for Deri to continue serving as minister.

Deri’s dismissal takes effect in 48 hours, by when Netanyahu will need to find new ministers to take over Deri’s responsibilities.

Source: Palestine News & Information Agency

Israeli settlers Sunday set up an electronic gate at the entrance of the area of Ein Silwan, to be used as a way to enter the area and the tunnels in the neighborhood of Wadi al-Hilweh.

WAFA correspondent said that a group of Israeli settlers from the settlement organization Elaad, and under heavy protection from the Israeli forces, raided the aforementioned area and carried out razing operations in its vicinity.

This comes weeks after seven donums of Palestinian-owned lands were seized in the area of Ein Silwan, where uprooting trees, setting up gates and razing and digging operations are still going on.

Source: Palestine News & Information Agency

A special Israeli forces unit Sunday evening detained a Palestinian youth from the refugee camp of ad-Dheisha, south of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, security sources said.

The sources told WAFA that an Israeli forces special unit broke into a building near the eastern entrance of the camp, and detained a youth, whose identity remains unknown.

Source: Palestine News & Information Agency

Israeli forces Sunday seized a Palestinian-owned tractor in the area of Ras al-Ahmar, south of the occupied West Bank city of Tubas.

Aref Daraghmah, an activist, said that the Israeli forces raided the area and seized a tractor owned by local resident Ahmad Abu Khayzaran while working in the area.

To be noted, since the begining of 2022 and up until now, Israeli forces sezied more than 80 tractors and vehicles owned by Palestinians in several areas in the northern Jordan valleys.

Israeli forces directly target agricultural lands in the valleys by preventing farmers from plowing their lands and giving them notices ordering them to stop working on them, in addition to seizing their tractors or briefly keeping hold of them for hours.

Source: Palestine News & Information Agency

Israeli settlers Sunday evening attempted reestablishing an outpost on Palestinian lands in the village of Jorish, local sources confirmed.

The sources added that the fanatic settlers attempted setting up carvans in areas belonging to lands in the village, a week after they were forcec to remove them by the villagers.

The Nablus countryside has been subjected to Israeli violations, which included land seizing, opening settlers-only roads, and razing lands in favor of expanding the settlements.

Source: Palestine News & Information Agency

Armed Israeli settlers, dressed in military uniforms, broke into a Palestinian-owned house in the area of Arab al-Maleehat, west of the occupied West Bank city of Jericho.

Hasan al-Maleehat, from Al-Baidar Organization for Bedouin Rights, said that six armed settlers raided the house of local resident Mohammad Maleehat in the area before they were confronted by the residents.

Source: Palestine News & Information Agency