Violation: a military order no. 14/25, ravaging 89 olive trees.

Location: Zaboba village located west Jenin.

Date: June, 15^th 2025.

Perpetrator: Israeli occupation forces.

Affected party: the residents of the village in general and the farmers (landowners) in private.

Details:

On Sunday, June, 15^th 2025, The Israeli occupation forces began excavation works and uprooting 89 olive trees in Zaboba village located west Jenin, in particular adjacent to annexation and expansion wall located south and west part of the village.

It’s worth mentioning that according to a military order, the Israeli occupation forces using military bulldozers targeted these lands in the village adjacent to The annexation and expansion wall. A day ago, in June, 14^th 2025, a military order came under titled’’ instructions ………, which targets about 2.5 dunams from village lands within natural blocks numbers (2,6,7,8) distributed on 4 different locations: (A l Qsaira, Sababa, Al Huwaita, Al Kour).

According to village council accords in Zabaoba village the damage as follows:

Mr. Emad Jaradat, a head of the village council in Zaboba village to the LRC as follows:

‘’We shocked about a military order noted that the area is calm, the targeted land is considered one of the most forested lands with olive trees, which the residents rely on olive, providing their source of income from olive oil, we tried to stopping the ravaging but no one ca reach the area due to the occupation forces and preventing farmers from approaching to the location of ravaging and vandalizing trees, we just monitor the uprooting of trees and we can’t do anything.

 About Zaboba village:

Zaboba village has a total area of 2630 dunams, its lands classified as B and C areas, as 1676 dunams classified as( 65% from village area) from village lands as B areas, as the Palestinian authority take control over civil affaires as the Israeli occupation take control over the secure responsibility to the area, while about 954 dunams from village lands ( 35% from total area of the village) as C Area, as take control by the Israeli occupation, so the  Palestinian building were prohibited on anyway .

It’s worth noting that this action was preceded by several other orders, either (an order regarding the seizure of land – urgent and immediate) or (an order concerning security instructions, urgent and immediate). These orders have targeted lands planted with trees located near either a bypass/ settler, settlement/ annexation and expansion wall, below are the most notable cases documented by LRC at the beginning of 2025 and until the date of this report:

Attacks trees……. A form of Israeli violations of Palestinian Environment:

The frequency of attacks by settlers and the military on Palestinian trees has been increasing. According to the field research team at the Land Research Center, since the beginning of 2024 until October 31, 2024, the occupation has targeted more than 57,323 trees and saplings, marking the highest number in the past 10 years. Of these trees, 90% have been completely destroyed, which signals a real environmental disaster.

 The loss of trees, whether by cutting, burning, or poisoning, results in a reduction in the number of trees, leading to a decrease in vegetation cover. This, in turn, reduces the amount of oxygen produced in the region and increases the concentration of carbon dioxide. Moreover, the destruction of trees leaves animals without shelter or food, threatening the extinction of certain species due to the destruction of their natural habitat, which harms biodiversity.

Land Confiscation Violates International Laws:

What Israel is doing in the occupied Palestinian territories is considered a violation of the Palestinian people's rights and their lands, and a violation of international laws and conventions. The following are the most important texts contained in international laws and treaties that prohibit Israeli settlement in Palestinian territories and prevent interference with civil and public rights and properties in occupied territories, along with relevant United Nations resolutions.

Lahay Convention / 1907:

• Article 46: The occupying power may not confiscate private property.
• Article 55: The occupying power is considered a manager of lands in the occupied country and must treat the country's properties as private property.

Fourth Geneva Convention / 1949:

• Article 49: The occupying power has no right to transfer its citizens to territories it has occupied, or to take any action that leads to demographic change in them.
• Article 53: The occupying forces have no right to destroy individual or collective personal property, or property belonging to individuals, the state, or any authority in the occupied country.
• Article 147: The destruction and appropriation of property not justified by military necessity and carried out on a large scale in an unlawful and arbitrary manner is a grave breach.

مشروع: حماية الحقوق البيئية الفلسطينية في مناطق "ج" SPERAC IV - GFFO

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of Land Research Center and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the project donor; the Norwegian Refugee Council.

إخلاء المسؤولية: الآراء ووجهات النظر الواردة في هذا التقرير هي آراء ووجهات نظر مركز أبحاث الأراضي ولا تعكس بالضرورة وجهات نظر أو مواقف الجهة المانحة للمشروع؛ المجلس النرويجي. للاجئين