AT-TUWANI, South Hebron Hills-In the afternoon of 14 January 2010, Palestinians discovered that a family-owned olive grove in Khoruba valley had been recently destroyed.  Twenty mature olive trees were broken at their trunks.  The family believes that Israeli settlers from the Ma’on settlement and Havat Ma’on outpost are responsible for the vandalism.

A Palestinian farmer informed CPTers who documented the destruction that this was the fifth time since 1997 that settlers have destroyed the olive trees in this grove.  He also said that the trees would not be able to bear olives for at least three years.

This most recent attack on Palestinian agriculture follows a month of Israeli settler violence and harassment aimed at preventing Palestinian farmers from plowing their fields and thus earning their livelihoods.

For photos of the olive grove see http://cpt.org/gallery/view_album.php?page=1&set_albumName=January-2010,-destroyed-olive-grove