Palestinian trees destroyed in ongoing settler vandalism and harassment

At-Tuwani, South Hebron Hills, West Bank

Link to photos: http://cpt.org/index.php?q=gallery&g2_itemId=22931

In the early morning of 12 May 2011, Palestinian farmers discovered
that during the night unknown perpetrators had vandalized ten olive
trees in Humra valley, near At -Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills. The
trees and the land belong to At-Tuwani resident Salman Jibrin Raba'i.
The evidence suggests that the vandals sawed and then broke branches
off the trees, completely destroying seven trees and partially
damaging another three.

A spokeperson for the Raba'i family remarked that, due to the late
spring rains, they had expected a good olive harvest this year. One
olive tree in the area produces an average of twelve kilos of olive
oil. Therefore, the cumulative loss of these damaged trees' production
is a substantial financial blow to the family. The property owners
called the police in order to lodge a formal complaint. Due to
numerous prior similar incidents in the area, Palestinians suspect
that the perpetrators are likely settlers from the nearby Havat Ma'on
settlement outpost.

This incident continues a string of recent episodes of settler
vandalism and harassment in the area surrounding At-Tuwani. Several
times during the last ten days, settlers have grazed their flocks on
Palestinian fields, further harming crops already suffering from the
winter drought. On 8 May, seven settler youths harassed a Palestinian
shepherd and his flock grazing in Khoruba, south of the outpost. The
settlers ran away when the shepherd called the police.

On 5 May, as Ibrahim Ahmed Amur surveyed his olive grove near Road
317,  he discovered that vandals had cut about one hundred meters of
fence line, destroyed 25 fence posts, and hacked an olive tree. This
same olive grove was completely ravaged in January 2006, a deed which
police suspected was done by local settlers.  The Amur family thus
lost four years’ worth of olive crops from the 120 ravaged trees.
They filed a complaint in 2006 but to date have not received any
compensation.

In the last ten days, on at least three different occasions, settlers
have also harassed Palestinian children on their way home from school
in At-Tuwani.  Each time, as the school children walked on the road
near the settlement and outpost, settlers stalked the children along
the road.  Soldiers from the military escort assigned to protect the
school children got off the jeep to walk between the settlers and
children, but did not detain the settlers or otherwise address this
pattern of harassment.  For further information on the history of the
military escort for the school children, in place since 2004, please
see: http://bit.ly/ga4xYq

The ongoing settlers’ harassment of Palestinians and damage of
Palestinian property, as well as the lack of adequate response by the
appropriate authorities, raise questions about the capability of the
Israeli government to control settlers in the area and to ensure
Palestinian security.

Operation Dove and Christian Peacemaker Teams have maintained an
international presence in At-Tuwani and South Hebron Hills since 2004.
 Follow breaking news from the South Hebron hills on Twitter
@cptpalestine.

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CPT-Palestine in At-Tuwani,
South Hebron Hills