Israel uproots thousands of grapevines in Hebron to expand settler road

“Israel uproots thousands of grapevines in Hebron to expand settler road Submitted by Sari Jaradat on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 13:06 Palestinians lament mass bulldozing of vineyards - central to Hebron life - in what they say is an attempt to push farmers off their land A Palestinian man inspects damaged grapevines after Israeli forces began bulldozing vineyards in Hebron, occupied West Bank, 5 May 2026 (Sari Jaradat/MEE) Off Zuhur Tarwa stood in shock as Israeli army markers appeared across her vineyard, declaring it confiscated. The 68-year-old Palestinian had spent years tending the land with her two daughters in the fertile Baqa’a Valley, east of Hebron in the occupied West Bank. Their 200 grapevines once filled the plot with broad green leaves, promising a strong harvest. Before that could happen, the confiscation order arrived - followed soon after by bulldozers. “They razed the entire land, uprooting the grapevines and other crops,” Tarwa told Middle East Eye. “We are left with nothing but sorrow at this sight.” Her family’s loss is part of a wider pattern unfolding across Hebron, an area long known for producing some of the region’s finest grapes. The Israeli army recently confiscated large swathes of agricultural land to expand Route 60, a major settlement road linking key settlements across the West Bank. The project to expand the road, which stretches for 235km, has involved the seizure of tens of thousands of dunams of Palestinian-owned land. Zuhur Tarwa holds a destroyed grapevine after Israeli forces bulldozed her vineyard in Hebron, occupied West Bank, 5 May 2026 (Sari Jaradat/MEE). Bulldozing began earlier this week in parts of Hebron, with local sources reporting that it is affecting at least 400 dunams of vineyards, and some 40,000 grapevines. Among them were the 2.8 dunams belonging to Tarwa’s daughters. Nearby land owned by her brother-in-law has already been reduced from a cultivated vineyard to bare ground. “Nothing can stop their plans or their bulldozers,” she said. “We can’t do anything - only grieve.” Heart of Hebron life In Hebron, grapes are more than a crop. They are a symbol of identity, rooted in centuries of cultivation, and a vital source of income for many families. After olives, grapes are Palestine’s second-largest agricultural product, with dozens of families in al-Baqa’a relying on them for their livelihoods. Spanning around 10,000 dunams, the area is among the most fertile vineyard regions in the West Bank, stretching from Beit Einun and Bani Na’im to the Qizoun area. For years, Israeli forces and settlers have targeted the olive harvest in Palestine, destroying a key source of livelihood for many families. In recent years, that pressure has extended to vineyards, particularly in Hebron and Bethlehem. The latest bulldozing came just before the grape harvest season, compounding families’ losses. Anti-settlement activist Atta Jaber, who owns land in the area, said the measures are intended to push farmers off their land. 'I care for my grapevines like my own children' - Atta Jaber, anti-settlement activist His family has cultivated vineyards there for more than a century. In 1970, part of their land was seized for the Kiryat Arba settlement, followed by further losses in 1985 with the construction of the Kharsina settlement. The impact extended beyond farmland, with homes demolished and families displaced. “In 1995, Israeli bulldozers suddenly began paving the settlement road known as Route 60 through our land,” Jaber told MEE. “This was our third loss after the establishment of the two settlements, and it cut off the livelihoods of approximately 800 Palestinian families”. Before the uprooting, his vineyard generated at least 60,000 shekels (around $20,000) a year. “I care for my grapevines like my own children,” he said. “We have no other source of income - this is how we were raised, and what we teach our children: that the land is everything, our livelihood and our future. “But Israel is systematically destroying all of that.” Systematic targeting of farmland The targeting of trees in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers has escalated in recent years, moving beyond isolated incidents into what appears to be a more frequent and systematic pattern across several areas. According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, around 35,273 olive, grape and fig trees were uprooted, damaged or poisoned in 2025 alone - a figure that underscores the impact on farmers’ livelihoods and the wider agricultural landscape. Olive groves under siege: Palestinian families face Israeli violence during harvest Read More » Tens of thousands of dunams across the West Bank and Gaza are cultivated with grapes. In Hebron and its northern region alone, cultivation covers around 37,500 dunams, according to Mahmoud Fatafta, spokesperson for the Ministry of Agriculture. In the Baqa’a area specifically, about 1,300 dunams are planted with vines, producing approximately 13,000 tonnes of grapes and around 1,000 tonnes of leaves, he told MEE. However, officials say the sector faces major challenges, including ongoing land confiscations that have reduced cultivated areas, as well as repeated settler attacks on vineyards and farmers. Fatafta said around 200 dunams have already been bulldozed and uprooted in al-Baqa’a, warning that the attacks are continuing in what he described as a systematic targeting of vineyards. Occupation Fayha Shalash Ramallah, occupied Palestine Hebron ‘Left with nothing but sorrow’: Israel uproots Hebron grapevines to expand settler road News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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