An-Najah News - According to a local municipal source Israeli settlers today torched an olive grove belonging to Deir Ballut town, west of Salfit.

Agroup of settlers set fire to 50 olive trees, located to the east of the town, and identified the landlords as Yousef, Mustafa and Sbeih Abdul-Ilah said the town mayor Yahya Mustafa.

Located 15 kilometers to the west of Salfit city 11,900 dunams.

 It boasts several archeological sites dating back to the Byzantine era, such as St. Simeon Monastery and al-Qal‘a Monastery.

Before 1948, the village owned 40,000 dunums of land (10,000 acres). In 1967, 20% of the land of DeirBallut (or 2,000 acres) was confiscated into Israel.

 Since then, like so many other villages in Palestine, Deir Ballut has been subjected to almost continual land theft for Israeli settlements, bypass roads, and military installations.

Israel has established two colonial settlements, namely Alei Zahav and Pedu’el, on lands confiscated from the village.