Israeli Bulldozers Razing Palestinian Olive Groves in Arraba, West Bank
· World · Al Jazeera, New York Times
Israeli military bulldozers and settlers are systematically destroying olive groves and structures in Arraba, a village in the occupied West Bank, as part of a settlement expansion plan. Witnesses reported soldiers confiscating phones and IDs from Palestinian families to prevent documentation of the destruction, which includes razing fields near Arraba Junction and beyond Area A, technically under Palestinian Authority control. The mayor of Arraba, Ahmed Arda, described the encroachment by newly founded settlements like Mevo Dotan and Emek Dotan, all illegal under international law. Experts link these attacks to a broader pattern of violence since Israel’s October 2023 war in Gaza, with some classifying them as pogroms. The destruction leaves families like the al-Fari clan with no recourse as their livelihoods and land are systematically erased.
Why it matters
Palestinian farmers and residents face direct displacement and economic ruin as their olive groves—critical to their livelihoods—are destroyed, while Israeli settlement expansion solidifies control over strategic West Bank land. The escalating violence risks further destabilizing the region and deepening tensions between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
Read the original report — Al Jazeera
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