AL MUGHAYYIR: Israeli bulldozers uprooted hundreds of trees in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir on Sunday under military supervision.
Most of the destroyed vegetation consisted of olive trees, which are vital to the local economy and culture in the occupied territory.
Local farmer Abdelatif Mohammed Abu Aliya reported losing olive trees over 70 years old on approximately one hectare of land.
“They completely uprooted and levelled them under false pretences,” he said, adding that residents had already begun replanting the uprooted trees.
AFP journalists observed overturned soil, felled olive trees, and several bulldozers operating on the hills surrounding the village.
One bulldozer displayed an Israeli flag while military vehicles remained parked nearby during the operation.
“The goal is control and forcing people to leave. This is just the beginning – it will expand across the entire West Bank,” stated Ghassan Abu Aliya, who leads a local agricultural association.
Residents confirmed the bulldozing began on Thursday, with a Palestinian NGO reporting 14 arrests in the village over three days.
The Israeli army told AFP it had “launched intensive operational activity in the area” following a “serious shooting attack near the village”.
In a Friday statement, the army announced arresting a man from al-Mughayyir accused of being “responsible for a terrorist attack” nearby.
The Palestinian Authority reported an 18-year-old man shot and killed by Israeli forces in the same village on August 16.
The army claimed its forces responded to stones thrown by “terrorists” without directly linking the incident to the fatality.
A senior military commander vowed in a widely circulated video to make “every village and every enemy… pay a heavy price” for attacks against Israelis.
Top West Bank commander Avi Bluth stated Palestinian villages could face curfews, sieges, and terrain “shaping actions” for deterrence purposes.
West Bank violence has escalated significantly since the Gaza war began following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
At least 971 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank during this period according to AFP figures.
Official Israeli sources report at least 36 Israelis killed in West Bank attacks or military operations during the same timeframe.
The Israeli-occupied West Bank contains approximately three million Palestinians and 500,000 Israeli settlers living in settlements considered illegal under international law. – AFP