Israel uproots hundreds of olive trees near salfit

The Israeli military authority uprooted Thursday hundreds of newly planted olive trees in the Wadi Qana area, near Salfit, said residents.They said the Israeli forces sealed off the area and prevented residents and farmers access to their land while the bulldozers were uprooting the olive trees.Issam Abu Baker, governor of Salfit, said the Israeli military uprooted around 1000 tress out of 2483 planted in that area.He said the Israeli decision to uproot the trees was made in May when they marked the trees to be uprooted under the pretext that the area was a natural reserve.Former mayor of the nearby village of Deir Istiya, Nathmi Salman, said confrontations broke out between the residents and the Israeli forces, which fired stun grenades at them.