PNN/ Salfit/

Israeli settlement bulldozers on Monday have razed areas surrounding four historic villages aged hundreds of years near Salfit city, northern West Bank.

Eyewitnesses from Deir Ballout town said that bulldozers from the Leshem and Bedu’il illegal settlements have razed the lands surrounding the Deir Qal’a and Deir Sim’an sites east of the town.

Other eyewitnesses from Bruqin town said that the settlement expansion is moving closer to Qarqash village, adding that the settlers invade it every now and then. In addition, the factories of Ariel settlement and only some hunhdred meters away, which threatens to isolate it from all sides now.

Farmers from Salfit said that the wall has completely separated the Al-Shajara village, since it is now sandwiched between the wall and Ariel settlement, and that farmers from the village are denied entrance to it and were depriving from working there or using their wells.

Researcher Khaled Ma’ali said that the settlements in Salfit has razed and damaged some histroic sites that have been dug in stones, including old caves and mills.