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Settlers set Palestinian land ablaze and attack villagers in the West Bank

1 June 2009

Settlers rampage on Palestinian land in Faratta village

Settlers rampage on Palestinian land in Faratta village

Early in the morning of the 1st of June, settlers started to burn farm land of the village of Burin. Continuing throughout the day, settlers also set fire to the crops and olive trees of Tell, Jit, Immatin, and Far’ata villages in the Nablus region of the West Bank. Six Palestinians were also attacked violently by settlers while they were on their way to work near the villages.

At 4 o’clock in the morning, the first group of settlers started to come towards a house on the outskirts of Burin. The family had to close all the shutters and doors to stop the settlers from entering the house.

One woman of the house said “We’re very afraid. This is not the first time the settlers have come. They harass us, cut the electricity wires to the house, and throw burning things on our roof.”

The settlers seemed to move away from the village, however, at 6 o’clock the first fires were seen by villagers of Burin only a short distance from the village. The fires burned throughout the day. The presence of settlers, soldiers, and road blocks prevented people and the fire brigade from extinguishing the fires.

Settlers set fire to Faratta land

Settlers set fire to Faratta land

Simultaneously, settlers made arson attacks on large areas of land belonging to the villages of Tell, Jit, Immatin, and Far’ata. Some of the settlers were masked and brandishing bats. The Israeli Army restrained the most aggressive settlers and forced the Palestinian farmers, who tried to access their land protesting against the destruction of their crops and olive trees, to leave. The Army threw a sound grenade to disperse the crowd forcing it back to the village.

In addition, six Palestinians were attacked by settlers on their way to work. According to Maan News, one of them, 44-year-old Ali As-Sadda from the village of Jit, was seriously injured and transferred to Al-Arabi Hospital in Nablus with a head injury.