Violation: cut and vandalize 120 olive trees and 35 fig trees.

Location: Yasuf village located east Salfit.

Date: February, 7^th 2025.

Perpetrators: Settlers of Rehalim settlement.

Affected party: Two agricultural families from the area.

Details:

In the hours of dawn, Friday, February, 7^th 2025, Yasuf village witnessed a new attack by settlers believed came from Rehalim settlement located on the parts pf village lands, as a plot of land planted with ancient olive targeted located east village and adjacent bypass road no.60, named Kallit Wasil

It’s worth mentioning that settlers take the advantage of absence the farmers in their lands and just 500 meters away from Rehalim settlement by cut and vandalize 120 ancient olive trees, cutting their stems aging 45 years, causing completely damage, in addition to damaging 35 fig trees completely.

The trees belong to families as follows:

The affected farmer Tareq Aytani to the LRC researcher told as follows:

‘’ I own a piece of land with total area of 9 dunams planted with olive. Since 1981 this land was produced no less than 20 tins of olive oil in each season. But since the War onGaza we can’t unable to access our land because of settlers’ attacks, as we can’t to harvest our crops or either accessing to the land near settlement Rehalim settlement.  A few days ago, settlers using electric saws and all the trees were cut, as that is the beginning of take control over the land.

According to field research team at LRC, all the lands that located east Yasuf village, in addition to these near Tafuh settlement, I was attacked by settlers during past years, including ravaging lands and cut olive trees, stealing olive and attacking on farmers.

Yasuf village:

It is 16km south of Nablus. Yasuf is surrounded by Huwara and Jamma’in (north), Marda (west), Yatma (east), and Iskaka (south).

Yasuf is inhabited by 2093 people (according to 2017 census). It has a total area of 6037 dunums, 330 of which are built-up area of the village.

The Israeli occupation confiscated 814 dunums for these two colonies: Kfar Tapuah colony which was built on Yasuf lands in 1978. The colony is inhabited by 523 colonists and Rachelim- Shvut that was built in 1991 and devoured 10 dunums.

Besides, the bypass road number 508 confiscated more than 155 dunums of the village lands.

According to Oslo Accords, only 1427 dunums of Yasuf lands are under Area B (PA is in charge of civil matters with Israel responsible for security) while most of Yasuf is under Area C (Israel maintains full security and administrative control). About of 4609 dunums of Yasuf is in area C.

Legal Commentary:

The Palestinian environment, in general, is subjected to numerous environmental violations by the Israeli occupation, disregarding all international and national laws and conventions related to the protection of environmental rights. The right to live in a clean and healthy environment is a fundamental human right that has been inherent to mankind since the beginning of creation. The occupation often attempts to present itself as being concerned with international environmental issues, despite having signed major environmental protection agreements, such as the Basel Convention in 1989, the Rotterdam Convention in 2008, the Stockholm Convention in 2001, and the Ramsar Convention in 1971, as well as air quality and climate protocols. Nevertheless, Israel continues to violate all of these treaties without accountability or oversight.

In addition to the provisions regarding the right to enjoy a clean and healthy environment for all those under military occupation according to international laws, conventions, and treaties, such as the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in Resolution 2200A (d-21) on December 16, 1966, in Article (1), paragraph (2): "...All peoples, in pursuit of their own objectives, have the right to freely dispose of their natural wealth and resources without prejudice to any obligations arising from the international economic cooperation based on the principle of mutual benefit and international law. In no case shall a people be deprived of its means of subsistence...".

Undoubtedly, the violations carried out by the Israeli occupation contradicts with the laws of the occupation state itself before any other laws. Referring to the details of this case, the Israeli Penal Code of 1977 and its amendments stipulate that trespassing on someone else's property to commit a criminal act punishable by law is an offense. By reading Article 452 of the Israeli Penal Code, we find that the law punishes those who commit an offense or cause damage to property such as (a water well, a water reservoir, a dam, a floodgate, planted trees, a bridge, a tank, or a water cistern) with a penalty of five years imprisonment.

In addition to, Article 447 of the Penal Code states: "Anyone who does any of the following with the intent to intimidate, insult, or harass the property owner or commit a crime shall be punished by imprisonment for two years:

(1) Enters or crosses the property;

  (2) After entering the property legally, remains there unlawfully.

(b) A crime is committed under this section if the offender carries a firearm or a cold weapon, and the punishment is imprisonment for four years."

By reading the text of this article, we find that the Israeli Penal Code criminalizes the mere act of entering someone else's property without permission, with the intent to insult, harass, or intimidate, and punishes this act with two years of imprisonment. The punishment increases to four years if the offender commits any act on someone else's property using a weapon or a sharp tool, referred to as a "cold weapon." This is explicitly criminalized in the text of Article 447 of the aforementioned Israeli Penal Code. Additionally, a penalty of 5 years imprisonment is imposed on those who cause damage to property mentioned in Article 452. Therefore, the violator, the "settler," should face a compounded violation: the first for entering a property that is not theirs, and the second for trespassing on and cutting down the planted trees, resulting in environmental harm.

Therefore, the Israeli aggressor blatantly violates both international laws and treaties, as well as the internal laws of the "occupying state," in a clear violation. Consequently, the "Israeli judiciary" must hold the settlers accountable and punish them for these actions based on the provisions of their own laws. However, there is no legal accountability for the aggressors by the Israeli judiciary. Despite this, every human being on this earth has the right to live in a clean, healthy, and safe environment, free from any violation or aggression against it.

Related links:

Settlers Vandalize a Water Well and Cut Down 15 Olive Trees in Yasuf Village/ South of Salfit

Colonists Cut and Vandalize 10 Olive Trees in Yasuf Village/ East of Salfit

Military Order for Seizing 13 Dunams of Land in Yasuf Village / Salfit Governorate

 مشروع: حماية الحقوق البيئية الفلسطينية في مناطق "ج" SPERAC IV   - FCDO

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of Land Research Center and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the project donor; the Norwegian Refugee Council.

إخلاء المسؤولية: الآراء ووجهات النظر الواردة في هذا التقرير هي آراء ووجهات نظر مركز أبحاث الأراضي ولا تعكس بالضرورة وجهات نظر أو مواقف الجهة المانحة للمشروع؛ المجلس النرويجي. للاجئين