Bethlehem, 9 March 2020.
More than 20 armed, Israeli soldiers invaded the land of Mohammad Mustafa Al-Hroub and uprooted more than 400 olive trees.
Al-Hroub is a Palestinian farmer from the village of Wad Fukin, which is located southwest of Bethlehem.
Al Hroub's land is located at the edge of the 1948 Armistice Line, and where the Israeli colony (settlement) of 'Tzue Hadasa' was constructed from another side of it. It is about 40 dunums (1 dunum = 1000 m2). He approached the JAI early this year, seeking support to plant an empty plot of land, with internationally-sponsored olive trees, to maintain it. The JAI supported Mohammad Al-Hroub with 400 olive trees, and also had two international groups help him and his family plant the trees.
The first planting day was through the Olive Planting Program in mid-February, and the second planting day was by Nord-Norge folkehøgskole students at the end of February. Each group planted 200 olive trees.
Mohamad witnessed the uprooting and the destruction of his olive trees, and he was trying so hard to stop the attack by showing the soldiers the official ownership papers of the land. The soldiers did not stop uprooting the trees, and when they finished, they confiscated all the trees and declared the land as a 'State Land'.
