Settlers Rampage in West Bank - AFP

Settlers burn hundreds of Acres planted with olives, wheat, and barley
Tuesday June 02, 2009 10:24
Source: IMEMC

A group of extremist settlers burnt on Monday hundreds of acres planted with olive trees, wheat and barley near the Palestinian villages of Burin, Aseera, Tal and and Sorra south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Eyewitnesses reported that the settlers blocked several roads and attacked firefighters who were attempting to reach the burnt fields.

Ali Eid, head of the Burin village council, told the Maan News Agency that the fires consumed olives trees, and large areas planted with wheat and barley.

Also, local sources in Jeet and Far’ata villages, near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, stated that the settlers set ablaze hundreds of acres planted with wheat.

The sources added that Israeli soldiers did not attempt to stop the settlers and instead protected them and barred Palestinian fire trucks from reaching the burnt lands.

The Civil Administration office in Qalqilia said that its firefighters and civil defense officers were alerted after the first attack took place on Monday morning.

The office added that most of the civil defense and fire-trucks were violently attacked by the soldiers, and some vehicles were set ablaze.

The attacks took place after the Israeli army evacuated an illegal settlement outpost close to Alon Moreh settlement, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus. The evacuated outpost had three caravans.

On Monday morning, six Palestinians were wounded; one seriously, after the settlers attacked Palestinian laborers on the Nablus-Qalqilia road.

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