The fire in the olive grove. Photo courtesy of the farmers
On 7 October 2020, settlers set fire to an olive and almond grove belonging to a village resident. Sixteen olive trees and 10 almond trees burned down. Residents who came to the scene tried to put the fire out themselves. An Israeli firetruck arrived and stopped within the boundaries of the settlement of Leshem (Alei Zahav). The firefighters extended hoses across the settlement fence and allowed the farmers to use them to put out the flames, but did not join in the efforts.
Israel’s regime of apartheid and occupation is inextricably bound up in human rights violations. B’Tselem strives to end this regime, as that is the only way forward to a future in which human rights, democracy, liberty and equality are ensured to all people, both Palestinian and Israeli, living between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.
Since the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023, Israel has acted in a coordinated and deliberate manner to destroy Palestinian society in the Gaza Strip, committing genocide against its residents. In light of Israel’s actions in Gaza, the public statements made by Israeli decision-makers, and the international community’s failure to take effective action, there is a serious risk that the Israeli regime will expand the genocide to other areas under its control—first and foremost, the West Bank.
B’Tselem calls on the Israeli public and the international community to use every tool available under international law to bring an immediate end to Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people.
