Israeli settlers set fire to Olive fields in Dair Al-Hattab and Salem villages, clash with Palestinians near Nablus 

Monday July 23, 2007 10:54 by Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News nisreen at imemc dot org

Israeli settlers from the "Alon Moreh" settlement, located to the north of Nablus City, set fire to fields in the Dier Al Hattab and Salem villages near Nablus on Sunday night.

Local residents reported to the Palestinian News Agency "WAFA" that the huge fire extended over an area of 150 dunums of Olive fields, with fire trucks being unable to reach the area after the Israeli army closed the area.

Residents of Dier Al Hattab and Salem villages directed an appeal to Human rights organizations to petition for fire trucks to be allowed to enter the area.

Israeli settlers clash with local Palestinians near Nablus 

Monday July 23, 2007 10:31 by John Smith - IMEMC

Israeli soldiers on Sunday detained 11 right-wing Israeli settlers after they clashed with local Palestinians in the vicinity of the abandoned Homesh settlement, located near the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

The settlers, who were attempting to reoccupy the abandoned Homesh settlement, were arrested on suspicion of vandalizing military property.

Of the approximately 300 settlers who attended the action, 70 entered Burqa village, located near Nablus, and clashed with local residents.

Since Homesh was abandoned under the terms of the disengagement plan in 2005, the former settlement has been the site of much right-wing settler activity. On a number of occasions, and often under the protection of the Israeli army, settlers have re-entered the area in an attempt to reoccupy it.

Most recently, the Homesh First Organization, an umbrella group of right-wing settler associations, has called for the reoccupation of the ex-settlement, with Yossi Dagan, a senior member of the group, stating: “Today the public understands that returning to Homesh is the answer to Qassams. The public spirit fuels us with great optimism. Today the public understands that the disengagement was a mistake. Even the residents of Tel Aviv must demand Homesh be reclaimed, so that God forbid what's happening in Sderot and the Gaza-perimeter communities won't happen in central Israel.”

According to a Peace Now report, there are approximately 121 official Israeli settlements. These settlements are built on confiscated Palestinian land and, as a direct contravention of the Fourth Geneva Convention, have been declared illegal by various UN Security Council resolutions and a number of international legal bodies, including the International Court of Justice.

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Note to readers:

The Israeli settlements as well as the Land-Grab, Apartheid Wall in the Palestinian occupied territories have been built illegally on confiscated Palestinian lands. These represent a major violation of international law, Geneva Conventions, and they obstruct reaching a peaceful resolution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The Israeli occupation forces abduct and kidnap Palestinians from their homes on daily basis. Most media refer to these abductions and kidnappings as arrests, which is inaccurate and not true as the Israeli occupation government has no jurisdiction over Palestinian citizens inside their own territories.  

 

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