{"id":433890,"date":"2026-05-09T20:43:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T20:43:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/433890\/"},"modified":"2026-05-09T20:43:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-09T20:43:15","slug":"smotrich-announces-uprooting-of-3000-trees-planted-by-palestinians-in-northern-west-bank","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/433890\/","title":{"rendered":"Smotrich announces uprooting of 3,000 trees planted by Palestinians in northern West Bank"},"content":{"rendered":"

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that Israel uprooted some 3,000 trees planted by Palestinians in the northern West Bank, which he said were located on state land.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are building the Land of Israel and destroying the idea of a Palestinian state,\u201d said Smotrich, repeating a phrase he is fond of using. He said the trees had been planted illegally and that the action aimed to \u201cprevent attempts by the Palestinian Authority to establish facts on the ground.\u201d<\/p>\n

Smotrich also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry, overseeing civilian matters in the West Bank. The trees were removed by the Civil Administration, a branch of the Defense Ministry\u2019s Coordinator for Government Affairs in the Territories (COGAT), which is responsible for the territory\u2019s civilian affairs.<\/p>\n

The uprooting was the latest in a series of actions by Israeli government bodies to destroy trees in the West Bank, in part to make room for settlement expansion. The initiative has also come amid intensifying violence by settlers, including attacks targeting Palestinian agricultural activity.<\/p>\n

The trees were planted on some 50 acres of land close to the Shahak Industrial Park near the Shaked settlement. Although Smotrich\u2019s statement didn\u2019t specify which trees were uprooted, it appeared from pictures sent by his office that they were olive trees.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tGet The Times of Israel’s Daily Edition
\n\t\t\tby email and never miss our top stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\tBy signing up, you agree to the terms<\/a><\/p>\n

Smotrich said the trees were planted within the boundaries of the zoning masterplan for Shahak and that removing them would enable the further expansion of the industrial park together with the establishment of a new settlement, in accordance with policies the government has already approved.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tFinance Minister Bezalel Smotrich holds a press conference ahead of final votes on the 2026 state budget at the Knesset in Jerusalem, March 29, 2026. (Yonatan Sindel\/Flash90)<\/p>\n

State land is not privately owned and is available for the government to allocate for the public benefit, including through the construction of residential homes and infrastructure, as well as economic and agricultural activity.<\/p>\n

Virtually all of the state land that Israel has allocated for use has been given to the needs of Israeli settlements, according to information provided by the Civil Administration in 2018.<\/p>\n

The uprooting of the 3,000 trees on Wednesday followed numerous other tree removal operations by Israeli forces in the West Bank over the past year.<\/p>\n

The same announcement noted that this \u201cenforcement operation\u201d was a continuation of previous ones in the area. In September, 2,500 trees were uprooted there, followed by 6,300 trees in December 2025.<\/p>\n

The uprooting of the trees on Thursday drew condemnation from Yesh Din, an Israeli human rights organization.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhile the state supports hundreds of illegal outposts which constitute focal points for severe violence by Israelis against Palestinians, it compounds one crime with another, by cutting down thousands of olive trees just because they belong to Palestinians and thereby does mortal damage to the income of thousands of people,\u201d Yesh Din said.<\/p>\n

Over 120 illegal outposts have been established during the course of the current government, mostly on state land and often with the coordination of municipal settlement authorities.<\/p>\n

\t\"\"<\/a>
\n\t\tPalestinian men check olive trees reportedly uprooted by Israeli soldiers using a bulldozer in the West Bank village of Al-Mughayyir, north of Ramallah, on August 24, 2025. (Zain JAAFAR \/ AFP)<\/p>\n

The Civil Administration is not the only Israeli government body that has uprooted trees in the West Bank in the last year.<\/p>\n

Last August, the IDF uprooted thousands of olive trees<\/a> in the central West Bank village of al-Mughayyir \u2014 over a space of \u200b\u200babout 300 dunams (74 acres) \u2014 following a shooting attack in the area carried out by a resident of the village.<\/p>\n

While the IDF denied at the time that the move was intended as collective punishment for the village, they came just days after the chief of the IDF Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, had said that al-Mughayyir would \u201cpay a heavy price\u201d for the attack.<\/p>\n

Bluth stated that one mission of the forces was \u201cto carry out \u2018shaping operations\u2019 here\u2026 so that everyone will be deterred, and not only this village, but any village that tries to raise a hand against any of the [Israeli] residents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Israeli settler terrorists vandalized dozens of Palestinian olive trees near the village of Susya in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.<\/p>\n

Not humans, animals, or even trees are spared from their terrorism. pic.twitter.com\/64ObMNtqc9<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) November 7, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Trees have also been targeted by settler attacks. In November, the Palestinian Authority\u2019s news agency WAFA reported that fifteen ancient olive trees were chopped down<\/a> amid a broader attack by settlers on local Palestinian farmers in the village of Susya, which is part of the Masafer Yatta enclave in the South Hebron Hills.\n<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u0641\u064a\u062f\u064a\u0648 | \u0625\u0635\u0627\u0628\u0627\u062a \u0628\u064a\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0641\u0644\u0633\u0637\u064a\u0646\u064a\u064a\u0646 \u062c\u0631\u0627\u0621 \u0627\u0639\u062a\u062f\u0627\u0621 \u0645\u0633\u062a\u0648\u0637\u0646\u064a\u0646 \u0639\u0644\u064a\u0647\u0645 \u0628\u0627\u0644\u0636\u0631\u0628 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0628\u0631\u062d \u0648\u0625\u0637\u0644\u0627\u0642 \u0627\u0644\u0646\u0627\u0631 \u0641\u064a \u062e\u0631\u0628\u0629 \u0633\u0645\u0631\u0627 \u0641\u064a \u0627\u0644\u0623\u063a\u0648\u0627\u0631 \u0627\u0644\u0634\u0645\u0627\u0644\u064a\u0629. pic.twitter.com\/q3e5e78H60<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 \u0641\u0644\u0633\u0637\u064a\u0646 \u0623\u0648\u0646 \u0644\u0627\u064a\u0640\u0646 (@F24online) May 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

3 Palestinians reportedly injured in settler attack<\/p>\n

Also on Thursday, Palestinian media outlets reported that three Palestinians were injured<\/a> in a settler attack in Khirbet Samra in the northern Jordan Valley. According to the reports, they were beaten by armed settlers who also opened fire.\n<\/p>\n

No Palestinians were reported to have been struck by the gunfire.<\/p>\n

Footage circulated on social media appears to show Palestinians fleeing the area, while objects resembling stones are thrown at them as they escape.<\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\tWhich gorgeous bird do you prefer?\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

THIS MONTH ONLY: Join our reader support group for as little as $6\/month and receive an exclusive tote bag featuring one of Israel\u2019s native birds.<\/p>\n

Choose between the\u00a0Duchifat (orange), Israel’s national bird, or the Shaldag (blue), a beloved symbol of the Israeli landscape.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As a member of the Times of Israel Community,\u00a0you’ll also enjoy:<\/p>\n


\nAn ad-free experience of our site and podcasts.
\nExclusive access to award-winning films via DocuNation.
\nWeekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tJoin ToI Community & claim my bag\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tCLAIM YOUR BAG\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\tAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a><\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\tYou appreciate our wartime journalism\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n


\n\t\t\t\t\t\tWe\u2019re really pleased that you\u2019ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month. \n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

You clearly find our careful reporting of the Iran war valuable, at a time when facts are often distorted and news coverage often lacks context.<\/p>\n

Your support is essential to continue our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have grown dramatically during this ongoing conflict.<\/p>\n

So today, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6 a month you’ll become our partners while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing\u00a0exclusive content\u00a0available only to Times of Israel Community members.<\/p>\n

Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel<\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\tJoin Our Community\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\tAlready a member? Sign in to stop seeing this<\/a>
\n\t\t