The Israeli occupation decided today, Sunday, February 5, 2023, to seize 45 dunums of Palestinian citizens’ lands in the town of Deir Istiya, north of Salfit.

The Mayor of Deir Istiya, Moaz Salman, stated that the occupation forces delivered a notice to confiscate a 45-donum area of land belonging to the Palestinian citizen, Mustafa Mansour, located in the “Jabal Al-Dhib” area, north of the town.

For his part, the Palestinian citizen Hassan Mustafa Mansour said that the Israeli occupation issued a decision in 1983 to confiscate them. In turn, they filed a lawsuit with the occupation courts. It replied that confiscation conditions do not apply to this land.

In 2019, they filed an objection and complaint regarding the Israeli setllers’ bulldozing work in thier lands. Then, the court issued a decision to stop the bulldozing work.

On the other hand, Israeli settlers seized large areas of the citizens’ lands in the “Naba’ al-Majur” area, west of Deir Istiya.

Nazmi Salman, an anti-settlement activist, said that the Israeli settlers of “Havat Yair” settlement forcibly planted orange and lemon trees in an area of more than 40 dunums for the heirs of the Palestinian citizen Ahmed Ismail Abu Hijleh, to seize them later.

He explained that the area between Deir Istiya and Qarawat Bani Hassan areas is subject to daily attacks by settlers, which affect Palestinian citizens and their property, especially shepherds.

It is worth noting that the new far-right Israeli government has accelerated the implementation of settlement plans, the demolition of Palestinian homes and the confiscation of property throughout Palestine, without respecting international laws and covenants.