![A Palestinian woman reacts to her damaged olive trees as Israeli soldiers walk past in West Bank [Issam Rimawi/Apaimages]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/2012_4_16-A-Palestinian-woman-reacts-next-to-the-damaged-olive-trees-in-her-orchard-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Israeli occupation forces destroyed dozens of olive trees to the east of the occupied West Bank city of Qalqiliya on Sunday, Quds Press has reported. It is believed that the destruction took place in advance of the building of a highway connecting illegal settlements.
Anti-settlement activist Musa Al-Tayyip said that workers protected by Israeli security forces entered the neighbourhoods of Azzoun and Izzbit Al-Tayyip in the early morning and started uprooting the trees.“They uprooted more than 250 olive trees,” he explained,“including dozens of ancient trees in preparation for a highway connecting the Israeli settlements of Karnei Shomron and Alfei Menashe, which are being built on private Palestinian farms.” The settler-only road in question will eventually be 10 kilometres long, built through Palestinian neighbourhoods and farms.
Al-Tayyip added that an Israeli court turned down an appeal filed by the Palestinian families affected by the construction. The appeal, he pointed out, included original documents proving the Palestinian ownership of the land.
A number of measures are being taken by local Palestinians in protest at the Israeli project. Activists have stressed that the road and settlements contravene international law and the will of the international community.