Hundreds of volunteers and activists from APN and Palestinian groups and institutions were twice challenged by Israeli occupation soldiers and settlers as they worked to cultivate olive tree saplings in the area of Tal Rameeda in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank.The operation was part of the ‘Land is Ours’ campaign launched by APN as part of the ‘One Million Tree’ program implemented by the organization.

Two hundred tree saplings were initially planted on February, 3rd, 2015, despite settlers’ provocations. The saplings were uprooted by Israeli soldiers, a week after they were planted. On a second successful attempt, volunteers headed back to the area on March, 2nd, 2015 holding up the saplings. Soldiers closed off the roads leading to the area in an attempt to stop them, but volunteers managed to reach it going off the main road through rugged routes. The cultivation operation was carried out in cooperation with the Palestinian Voluntary Work Committee, Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees, Hebron Reconstruction Committee, Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, Hebron Defence Committee, the Higher Council for Youth and Sports and the Palestinian Polytechnic and Jerusalem Open Universities.

The cultivation of the olive tree saplings aims to build a garden for students in front of Qurtuba School in Shuhada Street near Beit Hadasa Jewish settlement.More photos: