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BETHELEHEM, October 16, 2012 (WAFA) – Jewish settlers Tuesday destroyed a number of olive and grape trees in al-Khader, a town south of Bethlehem, according to an activist.

The coordinator of the popular committee against settlements and the Apartheid Wall in al-Khader, Ahmed Salah, told WAFA that settlers destroyed around 15 grape trees and 20 olive trees belonging to Palestinian farmer Rezq Sbaih, whose land is located adjacent to the settlement of Efrat, built illegally on the land of al-Khader

He said Sbaih is constantly targeted by settlers’ attacks, including pumping waste water coming from the settlement into his land, preventing him access to his land without having a special permit from the settlement’s security service, which he is usually denied under the pretext of “rejected due to security reasons,” in addition to confiscating the seeds of plants he intends to plant.

He added settlers attack all land located near Efrat settlement.

Meanwhile, hundreds of settlers late Monday night gathered at the southern entrance of al-Khader town and closed off the bypass road 60 linking Etzion settlement bloc and Jerusalem city, chanting racist slogans, such as “death to Arabs.”

Salah expressed residents’ fear of a new settlers’ attack against the town.

T.R./F.R.