Israeli military authorities have issued an order demanding the removal of almond trees and wild vegetation from vast stretches of land in the southern West Bank. The directive covers multiple locations within the areas of Dura and Tarqumiya in the Hebron district.
According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the military directive bears the signature of the commander of the Israeli forces. The document was officially signed on October 28.
The targeted zones include Tars, Wadi Khuzem, Khirbet Deir Samit, and Khirbet Sabr. Other locations affected by the military order are Jabal al-Saadi, Khirbet al-Deir, and specific plots of land in Tarqumiya.
Landowners and property managers must clear the designated trees and vegetation. The removal must take place within seven days following a scheduled field inspection by the Israeli liaison authority.
The military directive grants authorization to parties designated by the military commander to execute the removal. This action will proceed if the affected landowners fail to comply within the given timeframe.
Property owners retain the right to file objections against the order. The commission stated that any legal challenges must be submitted within seven days from the date of the field inspection.
Officials pointed to severe agricultural, environmental, and economic consequences for the local farming communities. The affected area spans a distance exceeding 7.5 kilometres, equivalent to 4.66 miles.
Destroying the vegetation and almond trees would damage the productive and ecological value of the soil. Such actions directly harm farmers’ livelihoods and their ties to their agricultural land.
The commission stated that invoking security measures serves as an instrument to intervene in Palestinian land use and alter conditions on the ground. The military order does not explicitly provide for the transfer of land ownership, focusing specifically on clearing trees and wild vegetation from the designated properties.
This distinction does not reduce the potential damage inflicted on landowners, the commission said. The measure threatens the agricultural character of all the affected areas.
