Israeli soldiers protect settlers while they commit violations in the West Bank (French)
Today, Thursday, settlers established a settlement outpost near Al-Bireh in the middle of the occupied West Bank, with the aim of controlling vast lands and linking them to settlements established several years ago near this city.
The head of the Burqa Council (east of Al-Bireh), Sael Kanaan, told Anadolu Agency that settlers established the outpost west of his village located east of Al-Bireh.
Kanaan stated that the lands are privately owned by the residents and that they have official papers on them. He indicated that the settlers - with the support and protection of the Israeli army - control about a thousand dunams of the village’s lands.
He also said that there are 5 settlement outposts established on the lands of Burqa, separating it from the city of Al-Bireh, indicating that settler harassment has increased since the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 last year.
He added that the occupation army prevents farmers from reaching their fields, and closes the entrance to the village, accompanied by settlers.
The head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Minister Moayed Shaaban, said that last January, the colonists carried out nearly 120 attacks, including killing a Palestinian child and burning Palestinian property.
The Commission stated that last year the occupation authorities confiscated a total of 50,524 dunums (a dunum is equivalent to a thousand square metres) under various pretexts, such as declaring natural reserves, expropriation orders, seizure orders, state land declarations, and others.
The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission confirmed the increase in settlers’ seizure of Palestinian lands over the past two years.
The Israeli non-governmental "Peace Now" movement estimates that more than 700,000 settlers reside in settlements in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Settlers' attacks in all their forms escalated, including the construction of settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, coinciding with the war on the Gaza Strip, especially since the occupation army provides legal cover for these settlers.
Source: Al Jazeera + Anatolia