20 August 2012 | Operation Dove, At-Tuwani, South Hebron Hills
In the afternoon of August 16th some Palestinians discovered that an olive grove situated in Humra valley had been recently destroyed during the night, according to a Palestinian. Thirty olive trees were broken or severely damaged.
The olive grove belongs to a Palestinian family that lives in Yatta, a Palestinian town close to At-Tuwani.
The area in which the olives trees were cut is located in front of Havat Ma’on, an illegal outpost.
The amount of Palestinian trees tore down and damaged since January 2012 rises to 97: a largest number is located in Humra valley.
The olive grove’s destruction represents several problem of subsistence for Palestinians.
Operation Dove has maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and South Hebron Hills since 2004.
[Note: According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma’on (Hill 833), are considered illegal also under Israeli law.]