Israeli Settlers Escalate Attacks, Uproot Olive Trees in West Bank amid Rising Tensions
May 6, 2025
On May 4, 2025, illegal Israeli settlers launched new attacks on Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank, according to local activists.
The following day, on May 5, settlers uprooted 100 olive trees in the Palestinian town of Turmus Aya, further escalating tensions in the region.
These trees, which were over 12 years old, were destroyed amid ongoing violence against Palestinians in the area.
In another incident, the Al-Baidar Organization reported that settlers uprooted 30 olive trees in Khirbet al-Rakeez, located in Masafer Yatta village, south of Hebron.
In Salfit city, settlers vandalized a room belonging to a Palestinian farmer in the Al-Ras area of Qarawat Bani Hassan, causing significant material damage.
Additionally, settlers released livestock into Palestinian farmlands and hurled rocks at homes in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron's Old City, where a Palestinian child was assaulted.
On the night of May 3, a Palestinian farmer from southern Salfit was attacked by settlers near the Badran spring, an area frequently targeted by settlers.
Mostafa Abu al-Zalaf, a local farmer, reported that the town has faced repeated attacks by settlers, often with protection from the Israeli army.
Since the onset of the Gaza war in October 2023, nearly 960 Palestinians have been killed and over 7,000 injured due to attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers.
Official data revealed that settlers committed 860 assaults on Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank during the first quarter of 2025.
In April 2025 alone, there were 1,693 assaults on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, with 341 of those committed by settlers.
Abu al-Zalaf described the situation as a genocide being carried out by the Israeli army in conjunction with its military actions in Gaza.
Summary based on 2 sources

