Settlers Burn 55 Olive Trees Near Jerusalem During Harvest

Settlers on Saturday burned approximately 55 olive trees, some over 40 years old, in an agricultural area near Abu Dis, southeast of Jerusalem. The attack occurred while a Palestinian family was harvesting olives from their land. Local sources reported that the trees belonged to Ibrahim Ismail Abu Hilal and were located on a 14-dunam plot. The family, including Abu Hilal, his wife, children, and grandchildren, were present for the harvest when settlers from a nearby outpost attacked them, forcing the family to leave for their safety. After the family departed, the settlers returned and set fire to the olive trees, as well as harvesting tools and gathered olives. The area of Abu Dis and Al-Sawahira is frequently targeted by the Israeli military and settlers, despite residents' efforts to cultivate their land. In August, Israeli authorities declared about 370 dunams of land in Abu Dis and Arab Al-Sawahira as "state property," reportedly to facilitate the establishment of the "Mishmar Yehuda" settlement. This incident coincides with a rise in settler attacks on Palestinian farmers and their lands in the Jerusalem Governorate as the olive harvest season begins. Similar attacks, including obstruction of access and seizure of harvesting equipment, have occurred in the Wadi al-Rababa area of Silwan. Other areas in the Jerusalem Governorate have also seen olive theft and assaults on farmers amidst ongoing Israeli measures affecting agricultural lands.