Israel has issued three military orders requiring the removal of wild vegetation and the uprooting of trees from 339 dunams of Palestinian land in the northern and central occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.
The commission said the first order covers 178.71 dunams in Jenin and Qabatiya. It includes the removal of wild vegetation and olive trees. Landowners have seven days to submit objections, although the commission said the period begins after implementation of the order.
A second order concerns another 128.77 dunams in the same areas. According to the commission, landowners have been given only 12 hours to clear vegetation and olive trees, while the objection period is also limited to 12 hours following an inspection.
A third order applies to two areas in Beit Rima in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh governorate, covering a combined 31.538 dunams. The order includes the removal of wild vegetation, olive trees and other trees.
The commission said around 10 dunams of the land covered in Beit Rima falls within Area B under the Oslo framework. Under the 1995 Oslo II Accord, the West Bank was divided into Areas A, B and C, with different levels of Palestinian and Israeli administrative and security control.
The commission warned that the orders could have consequences beyond the amount of land directly affected. It highlighted the short deadlines for objections, particularly the 12-hour period, saying they could restrict landowners’ ability to challenge the measures before the removal takes place.
It also said maps attached to the orders indicate that connected sections of agricultural land are included in the targeted areas.
The commission called for on-site monitoring to establish how many trees could be affected, determine which properties fall within the designated areas and evaluate the impact on Palestinians’ access to and use of their land.
The orders were issued as Palestinian farmers prepare for the annual olive harvest, which generally begins after mid-October and is an important agricultural period for communities across the West Bank.
Last month, Israel’s military also issued orders concerning the removal of trees and vegetation from approximately 310 dunams in Jenin governorate, according to the Palestinian news agency Wafa.
The latest measures come amid intensified Israeli military activity in the occupied West Bank since the Gaza war began in October 2023. Palestinian officials have reported killings, arrests, displacement, destruction of agricultural land, home demolitions and settlement expansion during this period.
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