Israeli army demolishes coal plants in Jenin

Wafa– Israeli soldiers Wednesday demolished and razed 20 coal plants in Barta'a, a village behind the Separation Wall southwest of Jenin in the northern West Bank, according to security sources.

Witnesses told WAFA that large forces from the Israeli army stormed the village, demolished and razed the coal plants without prior notice.

Mahmoud Abu Bakr, a Palestinian at the scene, said Israeli soldiers prevented the plants’ owners from extinguishing the fires that broke out during the demolition. The fires are still burning.

Israeli soldiers banned civil defense crews and detained them at a military checkpoint in Barta’a, seized agricultural equipment and burned tens of olives trees during the demolition.

Head of the civil defense forces, Atta Abu Rub, told WAFA that Israeli soldiers detained crews for more than an hour as they were on their way to extinguish the fires, subjected them to strict security measures and prevented them from reaching the site.

He added that the crews eventually reached the fires and are still working to extinguish them, but considerable material losses have been sustained by the plant owners.

Thousands of Palestinians from Barta'a and surrounding villages southwest of Jenin depend on these coal plants as a source of livelihood.