Settlers destroy 50 olive trees south of Hebron

A group of Israeli settlers destroyed over 50 olive trees in the South Hebron hills on Thursday, locals said. Palestinian farmer Jaber Ali Shatat told Ma'an that settlers from Susiya raided agricultural land next to the illegal settlement and damaged 50 trees. Settlers deliberately target olive trees during the harvesting season, Shatat added. Settlers routinely attack Palestinians and their property in the occupied West Bank with impunity. Annual figures compiled by Israeli rights group Yesh Din have repeatedly shown that nine out of 10 police investigations about settler crimes fail to lead to a prosecution. More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law. The internationally recognized Palestinian territories of which the West Bank and East Jerusalem form a part have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967.