JAI: Keep Hope Alive Olive Tree Campaign fields attacked and trees uprooted and stolen by Israeli settlers

JAI: Keep Hope Alive Olive Tree Campaign fields attacked and trees uprooted and stolen by Israeli settlers

Keep_Hope_Alive_JAI.jpgMore than 200 olive trees, in the villages of Qusra and Jaloud  in the Nablus area (northern West Bank), were uprooted and stolen by Israeli settlers in the last few days. All these trees were part of the Olive trees distributed by the Keep Hope Alive Olive Tree Campaign of the Joint Advocacy Initiative of the YWCA of Palestine and the East Jerusalem YMCA.

The land of Isam Odeh, a 42-year-old farmer, was attacked twice by settlers, and 60 olive trees were uprooted and stolen on January 9. Other land belonging to Mahmoud Ibrahim, a 48-years-old farmer, was attacked 3 times on January 1, 5, and 9, and resulted in the uprooting and stealing of 70 olive trees, together with wooden stakes and plastic covers. On the same days, settlers also attacked the land of Nayif Kaabneh, a 65-year-old farmer, uprooted and stole 60 olive trees out of the 100 trees he was supported with. The fourth farmer is Abdel-Hamid Kharyoush, 65-year-old, whose field was attacked on January 9, when 16 olive trees were uprooted and stolen.

The Olive Tree Campaign staff visited the attacked fields, took pictures, and met and talked to the affected farmers, affirming that the Campaign will keep working with to support them with further olive trees soon or in the coming seasons.