Trees Are Being Uprooted, Residents Attempting To Intervene

A private Israeli company working near the village of Bil'in, in the western Ramallah area, is in the process of uprooting over 80 olive trees from the villagers' land now located on the western side of Israel's Separation Barrier.

The company, Dachporai Hadikaa, has already taken away by truck over 40 trees that they uprooted. The truck carrying the uprooted trees was seen entering the Kiriyat Sefer settlement. Another 40 trees lay uprooted on the ground.

Through their lawyer, Nahla Atiye, residents of Bil'in contacted the local Israeli military District Coordination Office (DCO) and border police asking for intervention. In response the DCO ordered the border police to cordon off the area to the Palestinian land owners. On first attempts to pass this cordon, the Bil'in residents were turned back. After circumventing the cordon, residents are now at the site of the uprooted trees.

The Bil'in residents are attempting to replant the uprooted trees that have not yet been taken away.