Key facts
- Israeli forces bulldozed hundreds of olive trees in the West Bank village of al-Mughayyir.
- The trees were reportedly uprooted on about one hectare of land.
- Residents described the action as an effort to control land and displace Palestinians.
- The Israeli army cited a "serious shooting attack" near the village as justification for its operation.
- The army also stated it arrested a man from al-Mughayyir in connection with a terrorist attack.
Israeli bulldozers uprooted hundreds of trees, predominantly olive trees, in the occupied West Bank village of al-Mughayyir, north of Ramallah, on Sunday, August 24, 2025. AFP journalists reported that soldiers stood by as the trees, some over 70 years old, were destroyed on approximately one hectare of land.
Residents and local officials described the destruction as a deliberate act aimed at controlling territory and displacing the Palestinian population. Farmer Abdelatif Mohammed Abu Aliya stated his family's decades-old trees were razed under "false pretences." Ghassan Abu Aliya, head of a local agricultural association, suggested the action was part of a broader strategy to expand across the West Bank.
The Israeli army stated that its forces launched "intensive operational activity in the area" following a "serious shooting attack near the village." The army also confirmed the arrest of a man from al-Mughayyir, whom it accused of being "responsible for a terrorist attack" nearby. A senior military commander, Avi Bluth, was quoted in Israeli media vowing to make villages of Palestinian attackers "pay a heavy price."
Violence in the West Bank has intensified since the war in Gaza began in October 2023. According to AFP figures based on Palestinian Authority data, at least 971 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers in the West Bank during this period. In the same timeframe, at least 36 Israelis have been killed in attacks or military operations in the West Bank.