Palestinians Say Israeli Settlers Torched Ancient Olive Trees In West Bank
Locals in Burqa near Ramallah say Israeli settlers burned olive fields weeks before the harvest, a key income source for Palestinian families.
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Burqa: Locals in the Palestinian town of Burqa, close to Ramallah, report that Israeli settlers burned olive fields on Thursday. A few weeks prior to the commencement of the yearly olive harvest, which is a significant source of income for many Palestinian families, the incident occurred.
According to locals, Israeli troops stopped Palestinians from getting close to the burning groves while settlers entered the area at around eight in the morning and lit the fires. As smoke and flames ascended from the region, footage from the scene showed settlers close to the olive trees.
Some of the olive trees were thousands of years old, according to Mahmoud Ribhi, the landowner. Residents reportedly said that settlers threw stones at the village, and video footage appeared to show one settler firing a revolver into the area. There were no injuries recorded.
Israeli police said they arrested a man after getting complaints of arson and violence and sent him for questioning. Police said an investigation had begun, and the Israeli army stated it was looking into the incident. The olive harvest is economically and culturally significant for Palestinian communities throughout the West Bank.
