Holy Land: Christian peace campaigners report more olive trees destroyed

At Tuwani: Only tree stumps remain in former olive grove

This morning, Christian peace campaigners Operation Dove, report that 20 olive trees belonging to a Palestinian family were destroyed alongside bypass road 317 in the South Hebron Hills area of At Tuwani.

The olive groves belong to the Al Amor family from At-Tuwani and had been planted 34 years ago. At 9.35am, the owners, Operation Dove volunteers and B’tselem staff members gathered near the destroyed trees, waiting for the police. After one hour, the Israeli police and army arrived to the area and spent four hours documenting the incident.

Members of the Al Amor family testified that another ten olive trees were damaged in the same orchard only two months ago. This field is located alongside bypass road 317 on the way from Ma’on settlement to Avigayil outpost and is not visible from At Tuwani, thus rendering it easier for vandals to damage trees over the past few years.

The number of Palestinian-owned trees uprooted and damaged in the South Hebron Hills area in the last five months stands at 195. Olive trees take years to cultivate. They are an essential resource for the Palestinian community, and their damage causes serious economic loss.

Nevertheless, the Palestinian communities of the South Hebron Hills area are still strongly involved in using nonviolence as a way to resist to the Israeli occupation.

Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004.

For more information see: www.cpt.org/