Israel plows farms paving way for apartheid wall extension in Bethlehem village

Palestine Information Center – 26/07/2011

BETHLEHEM — Israeli bulldozers began plowing through ”vast” Palestinian farmlands and uprooting olive trees to pave the way for an extension of the apartheid wall in Al-Walaja village in western Bethlehem province early Tuesday morning.

Tensions envelop the village as Israeli soldiers have suppressed locals, reporters, and dozens of outside supporters who emerged to help stop the operation, locals said.

Protests managed to foil the operation for a few hours until heavy back-up arrived at the scene.

Locals said over sixty olive and pine trees were torn down in the excavations.

Palestinian sources reported spotting Israeli forces closing off one area of the village after attacking reporters covering the incident and activists from Spain who arrived to support the locals.

Elsewhere, an Israeli planning committee has notified locals in the Malih area of northern Jordan Valley that it would tear down dozens of local structures, including shacks and nomadic tents.

The structures were built allegedly without permits on what the Israeli army has declared a military zone.

The committee officials handed out a total of 35 notices, a local has told our correspondent.

”The occupation (Israel) aims at evacuating the Jordan Valley of its indigenous population for the sake of expanding settlements in the area,” said local activist Mohammed Daraghema.