LONDON: Israeli settlers cut down more than 20 lemon and orange trees in Wadi Qana near Deir Istiya, northwest of Salfit in the central West Bank, local sources said.
The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that dozens of settlers entered the area and uprooted trees belonging to resident Salah Yousef Mansour.
The incident forms part of a broader pattern in Wadi Qana, where residents say Israeli forces and settlers have repeatedly carried out land clearing, tree destruction and assaults on farmers.
Such actions, they add, are aimed at restricting Palestinian movement and facilitating the expansion of nearby settlements.
More broadly, attacks on Palestinian agriculture are a recurring feature of the olive harvest season across the occupied West Bank. These range from assaults on farmers to crop theft, tree burning and damage to farming equipment.
