BETHLEHEM /PNN/ 

Extremist Israeli settlers uprooted and cut down dozens of olive trees on Sunday afternoon in the Khalayel al-Louz housing area, south of Bethlehem, according to Palestinian residents.

Amin Malash and Abdulrahman Al-Ahmar said settlers destroyed more than 60 olive trees near homes in the upper section of a residential area inhabited by graduates of Bethlehem University, in what they described as part of ongoing attacks on the community.

Speaking to PNN, the two residents said the incidents occurred in the presence of Israeli forces, who they said provided protection to the settlers. They added that soldiers did not attempt to stop the destruction and instead deployed a drone over homes and groups of Palestinians gathered on their land where the trees were cut.

Residents said the attacks appear aimed at intimidating farmers and preventing them from harvesting their olives ahead of the upcoming picking season, a key period that reflects Palestinians’ attachment to their land. They stressed that such actions would not deter them from remaining on their land and tending their trees.

Malash and Al-Ahmar said their homes have been subjected to repeated attacks in recent months, including theft, vandalism and power cuts. They added that neither Israeli police nor the military had responded to multiple complaints filed over the incidents.

They said photos and videos documenting the tree cutting further demonstrate what they described as the involvement of Israeli forces in the attacks.

Residents of the Khalayel al-Louz area called on Palestinian authorities — including the government, the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the governorate and civil and military liaison bodies — to take steps to support their resilience. They also urged olive harvest campaigns, popular committees and political factions to organise harvesting initiatives in the area to assist residents.