3 July 2011
International Solidarity Movement
On Sunday 3 July a Palestinian village near Nablus was attacked by a group of Israeli settlers who set fire to the villager’s land.The village of Madama has been targeted weekly by settlers from the illegal Israeli settlement of Yitzhar. On 1 July they set another fire that burned approximately 500 olive trees.
A local farmer was clearing weeds and shouted for help when he witnessed approximately twenty Israeli settlers between the ages of fifteen and twenty years old burning the land.
The settlers hit the farmer over the head with a stone at close range, causing him to lose consciousness. The farmer was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
A local farmer was clearing weeds and shouted for help when he witnessed approximately twenty Israeli settlers between the ages of fifteen and twenty years old burning the land.
The settlers hit the farmer over the head with a stone at close range, causing him to lose consciousness. The farmer was taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
The Palestinian fire brigade, stationed in the nearby village of Burin, intervened to try and stop the fire but came under attack by ammunition from the settlers and the Israeli army, forcing them to retreat. Three other farmers from the village of Huwwara were injured by soldiers and were also taken to the hospital.
The fire continued to burn for many hours. The Palestinian witnesses believe the settlers were intent on destroying nearby olive groves. According to testimonies by firefighters and villagers, four Palestinians were injured and taken to a nearby hospital following this attack by Israeli settlers.
The fire destroyed hundreds of dunams (one dunam is equal to 1000 square meters) of agricultural land belonging to the Palestinians. This attack is just the latest in a series of weekly provocations carried out by the settlers and the Israeli occupying forces in the area surrounding the city of Nablus. The Palestinian firefighters intervening to stop the fire were prevented from doing so by the settlers with the support of the Israeli army.
The illegal colony of Yitzhar has targeted Burin, Asira Al Qiblia, Oreef, and Huwwara in addition to Madama in the past, with witnesses testifying that settlers have caused similar arson attacks.
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In late May the southern part of the village of Madama lost 5 donums of farmland rich with wheat and various vegetables after illegal settlers and the Israeli military prevented Palestinian fire trucks from reaching a similar arson case.
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