DaysofPal— Israeli settlers uprooted around 180 trees and saplings in the town of Azzun, east of Qalqilia in the northern occupied West Bank, on Sunday, in the latest escalation of settler violence across Palestinian lands.
According to local sources, settlers from the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Shomron, which is built on land seized from nearby Palestinian villages, stormed agricultural areas and destroyed 80 fully grown trees owned by Palestinian farmer Radi Mohammad Radwan. The damaged trees included 55 olive trees and 25 citrus trees.
In addition to the destruction, the settlers reportedly stole farming equipment and sabotaged the water network on Radwan’s land, causing damages estimated at around 10,000 shekels (approx. \$2,700).
The attackers also uprooted about 100 three-year-old olive saplings belonging to another farmer, Mahmoud Mustafa Radwan. These saplings were located in the Abu Shaar Valley area, near the main road connecting Qalqilia and Nablus — a hotspot for repeated settler assaults.
The incident marks a continuation of intensifying settler violence, often carried out under the protection of Israeli occupation forces, especially as the war and genocide in Gaza fuels tensions across the occupied Palestinian territories.
In May alone, Israel’s Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission documented 415 settler attacks against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank. These attacks included armed assaults, land destruction, and widespread tree uprooting.
Palestinian communities warn that such coordinated settler actions aim to forcibly displace farmers, seize their land, and expand illegal Israeli settlements in the West Bank, in violation of international law.
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