Israel to uproot trees for annexation wall

[TriWooOx]

Israel plans to uproot hundreds of centuries-old olive trees of the West Bank village of Naalin to construct the Israeli annexation Wall.

Israeli officials say the trees will be relocated - but Palestinian farmers say that replanting of centuries-old olive trees is impossible, and the trees will most certainly die.

The Palestinian farmers in the village depend on these trees for the yearly harvest of olives, which they press into olive oil, International Middle East Media Center reported.

According to villager Ibrahim Aahad Khawaja, "A tree, particularly an ancient one, will not survive if you move it from one place to another at this time of the year. Thus, we estimate that 90 percent of the relocated trees will not be able to bear fruit anymore."

The Israeli military argues the annexation wall must be built through the village's land for Israel's 'security' concerns.

But locals point out that the village lies far from the established 'Green Line' border between the West Bank and the occupied territories, and that the wall passing through their land is in flagrant violation of international law.

Naalin has been holding weekly non-violent protests since last year to challenge the annexation of their land for the construction of the wall. Both Palestinian and Israeli peace activists, along with international observers, attend these protests.

In addition to the concrete wall and fencing materials used in the construction of the structure, sections of Israel's separation barrier additionally include electrified fencing, two-meter-deep trenches, roads for patrol vehicles, electronic ground/fence sensors, thermal imaging and video cameras, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), sniper towers, and razor wire.

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