Israel demolishes nature reserve, children's park, wells for "military training area"
Screengrab from video as Israeli bulldozers destroyed a garden, a children’s playground, and 100 fruit and olive trees in the Bethlehem district, to make way for the continued construction of their illegal wall. Soldiers used violent force to remove Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists who attempted to prevent the destruction. Two Israelis were arrested immediately, and six internationals were later arrested. 2010
reposted from IMEMC
Israeli soldiers invaded, Wednesday, a natural reserve area in the villages of Khashm ad-Daraj and Um el-Kheir, east of Yatta town, south of the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and demolished a children’s park, in addition to uprooting trees and demolishing water wells.
Ibrahim Eid al-Hathalin, the head of Khashm ad-Daraj village council, said dozens of soldiers invaded the area, before demolishing a children’s park, used by dozens of families.
He added that the soldiers also demolished several water wells, in addition to uprooting evergreens and other trees in the natural reserve.
The Israeli army claimed that the invaded lands, and the uprooted trees, are in an area “designated for military training.”
It is worth mentioning that the areas east of Yatta and its surrounding communities are subject to constant Israeli invasions and violations, including the demolition of homes and residential structures, in addition to shed and barns, as Israel is trying to illegally annex the lands and use them for its army and for the construction and expansion of Israel’s colonies.
In addition, the soldiers invaded Yatta town, especially downtown areas, before storming and ransacking many homes and shops, and confiscated surveillance equipment.
The soldiers also installed a military roadblock at the entrance of the ath-Thaheriyya town, south of Hebron, before stopping and searching dozens of cars, and interrogated many Palestinians while inspecting their ID cards.