Violation: Ravaging olive trees.

Location: Huwwara town, south Nablus.

Date: June, 11^th 2025.

Perpetrator: The Israeli occupation forces.

Affected party: Two agricultural families from the town.

Details:

Wednesday, June, 11^th 2025, Huwwara town located south Nablus witnessed that the occupation forces stormed Al Naq’a area adjacent to bypass road no.60, using a military bulldozer to bulldozing and destroying a piece of land with total area of 2.8 dunams from village lands, as the occupation machinery ravaged all the trees existing in the land- 43 trees aging 35 years, causing completely damage.

It's noted that the assault was carried out in execution of prior military order issued by the occupation forces in June,9^th 2025, under the title ‘’order regarding the adoption of security measures, 13/25 urgent and immediate and targeted about 2800 meters from Huwwara lands within natural block no.12 , Al Naqa’a area.

It’s worth mentioning the Israeli occupation deliberate to damaging trees and ravaging lands to prevent the growth of the trees, that reflect the occupation’s deep affect on olive trees, as the occupation justify what happened under security purposes, improving the visibility for the Israeli forces in the areas adjacent to bypass roads.

The table below shows the damages:

 The farmer Muneer Ibrahim Abu Zaher told the LRC researcher as follows:

‘’I own a piece of agricultural land with total area of 5 dunams planted with olive trees aging 35 years, prior that I relied on it to providing olive oil to my family, about 60 trees. In 2023 the occupation ravaged a dunam with aim of establishing a new colonial road, passing the lands of the town, a few days ago, we received a military order that targeted 1.8 dunams from my land demanded to uprooting trees under security purposes. During 48 hours the occupation carried out the military order, using a military bulldozer and uprooting 27 olive trees from my land. The occupation demanding me to evict trees that were ravaged in 2 hours, so we threatened if we don’t do that, they will ravage a whole land, we brought a small truck and put what remains from trees in it, I was sad about the trees that we checked up, each olive season we sitting in front of them. The occupation is unjust.’’

It's worth mentioning that the occupation’s practice included: cutting trees in several locations near bypass roads was repeated, as the occupation plans to seize the surrounding lands and preventing farmers to existing in it, as exploits the situations to take control over agricultural lands.

Huwwara Town:

Hawara is located 8 km south of the city of Nablus, on the bypass road No. 60 linking the north to the south of the West Bank, which was called the “Death Street” due to the large number of daily accidents that occur on that road, including run-downs and vehicle collisions. Hawara Municipality has repeatedly tried to maintain the road. Thus, they put indicative signs on it, but the Israeli occupation obstructs the process of its maintenance and refuses even to put indicative signs on it.

The population of the town of Hawara is 6,659 people as of 2017, divided into three main families: Odeh, Dhamidi and Khums family, in addition to the fact that 3% of the town’s residents are of refugee origin.

The total area of Huwwara is 8,520 dunums, of which 1,116 dunums are a building up area. On the village lands there is the Israeli settlement of Yitzhar, which confiscated 331 dunums of the town’s lands, and bypass Street No. 60 looted 430 dunums of its lands.

It’s worth mentioning that this section was preceded by several orders (an order regarding the seizure, urgent and immediate) or (an order related to security instructions, urgent and immediate), these orders targeted lands planted with trees nearby either bypass roads/ colonial settlement/ or the annexation and expansion wall, below are the incidents of what the LRC team documented at the beginning of 2025 up to the date of this report:

Attacking 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 59,740 trees and saplings, marking the highest number in the past 10 years. Of these trees, 89% have been completely destroyed and ravaging about 1000 dunams, 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.

The field research team at LRC, at the beginning of 2025 and until the date of preparation this report, about 28,734 trees or saplings included 90% of them were completely damaging.

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