Palestinians offer Friday prayers on land threatened by Israeli occupier attacks

Dozens of Palestinians performed Friday prayers on agricultural land threatened by occupier attacks in the city of Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank, despite the Israeli army declaring the area a “closed military zone” and trying to prevent them from reaching it.

“Dozens of residents headed to their land east of the town of Idhna, but the Israeli army imposed a military closure on the area and tried to block their access,” Palestinian activist Saud Salimiya told Anadolu.

“Residents managed to reach parts of their land and performed Friday prayers there, affirming their attachment to the land and rejection of attempts to seize it,” Salimiya said.

“The area has seen a steady escalation in attacks for more than three months by occupiers from the Adora settlement, built on Palestinian land, after mobile homes were placed on a nearby hill,” he said.

“Occupiers come daily to the farmland and release their livestock there during the harvest season, damaging crops,” Salimiya said. He added that occupiers are also involved in stealing crops and burning others belonging to Palestinian residents.

“The participants wanted to send a message that the land stretching east of Idhna to the area around the Adora settlement is Palestinian land owned by the town’s residents and that they will continue to be present there and defend it,” Salimiya said.

“The Israeli army justifies its measures by saying it is protecting occupiers through the imposition of a fait accompli by declaring the area a closed military zone. Residents reject those measures and affirm they will continue reaching their land,” he added.

The incident comes amid escalating occupier attacks on Palestinian villages and communities in the West Bank, including the burning of homes, vehicles, and farmland, and assaults on residents, especially in areas near settlements and settlement outposts.

Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli army and occupiers have killed at least 1,169 Palestinians in the West Bank, wounded 12,666 others, arrested about 23,000, and displaced 33,000, according to official Palestinian figures.