Relentless Efforts To Ruin Palestinian Livelihood

Settlers Drown Palestinians' Land with Wastewater in Bethlehem

"ewish settlers from ‘Beitar Illit’ settlement Sunday drowned Palestinians’ lands with wastewater in Nahhalin, a village southwest of Bethlehem.

Head of Nahhalin village’s council, Osama Shakarna, told WAFA that those in charge of the water purification stations in ‘Beitar Illit’ settlment, west of Beitlaham, pumped waste water to the Almond and grapes lands, west of Nahhalin.

Shakarna pointed out that such practices polluted the underground water and caused serious damage to the crops; Palestinians can’t enter their lands anymore due to the high levels of wastewater in it.

He warned of the dangerous effects of such practices on Palestinians’ health, saying “Summer is knocking the doors, and there is a great fear of spreading diseases and mosquitoes.”

Moreover, Israeli authorities handed over a number of notices to Palestinians living in Ain Fares area, southwest of Nahhalin village, to seize their lands. "

Israeli Army Bulldozes Agricultural Lands

"Israeli army Monday bulldozed Palestinian agricultural lands in al-Ma'sara village and Al Khader town, south of Bethlehem to expand streets that leads to Efrat settlement nearby.

The Popular Committee against the Wall and settlement in Bethlehem spokesman, Mohammad Brijeh, said that Palestinian land owners confronted the Israeli forces and managed to shut the bulldozers down, but not before bulldozing ten donums of a vineyard, resulting in the destruction of tens of trees.

Al Khader’s Mayor, Ramzi Salah, said that “Israeli forces deliberately bulldoze and confiscate lands before the grape season to inflict heavy losses to the Palestinian farmers and force them to leave their lands for Israel to take over.”

He noted that Israeli authorities confiscated several donums of lands weeks ago to expand the settlement, adding that Israeli escalations target the farmers’ lives by assaulting and attempting to run them over with military vehicles.

Palestinian farmers and owners of lands, located near Efrat settlement, are only allowed to enter their properties with a special permit from the security official of the settlement, said Salah."

Israeli occupation bulldozers continue to disfigure Jerusalem

"(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Israeli occupation bulldozers and other heavy machinery continued on Thursday to disfigure the occupied holy city by removing some features at Sultan Sulaiman Road between Bab al-Amoud and Bab al-Sahera (two of the most famous gates of the old city).

Israeli contractors had setup iron barricades around the area being bulldozed totally changing the features of the area and uprooting olive trees in preparation for building “Talmudic gardens” in the area."