Armed Israeli settlers rampage Palestinian farm lands

Sunday October 19, 2008 19:39 by IMEMC Staff - IMEMC & Agencies

Armed Israeli settlers rampaged Palestinian-owned farm lands on Sunday in the occupied West Bank during the height of the olive harvest season.

Armed Israeli settlers in the West Bank/archive photo

Khaled Burhom, a local agricultural activist, told media outlets that settlers in the Qadumim settlement that was erected on Palestinian-owned lands in the Kufer Qadoum village, east of Qalqilia city, attacked local farmers while picking olives, a main source of income for the village.

Burhom added that the Israeli police forces detained four French peace activists and volunteers attempting to help harvest olives in the village.

Meanwhile, settlers from the Israeli illegal settlement of Mabodothan attacked a Palestinian resident from the Arraba town in Jenin city, witnesses said.

Witnesses added that the settlers beat up Lutfi Zuhir, a 45-year-old farmer, while he picked olives on his farm land adjacent to the settlement.

Recently, agriculture minister of the ruling Hamas party in Gaza Mohammad Alagha warned of what he termed Israeli settlers attempts to sabotage the olive season this year, in light of repeated settler assaults on Palestinian farmers.

In a related development, the Israeli military hindered the movement this morning of thousands of Palestinians at the Hewarra checkpoint in the Nablus city, witnesses said.

Witnesses added that the movement was delayed for few hours before the soldiers controlling the checkpoint allowed residents to cross.

Israel maintains more than 600 checkpoints and roadblocks throughout the occupied West Bank, despite repeated calls by international bodies such as the United Nations to remove such checkpoints which are believed to be hampering normal daily life.

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