IDF forces and the Civil Administration seized an illegal truck that had dumped waste near Ma'aleh Shomron in order to burn it.
In recent years there has been an increase in the number of illegal waste fires in Samaria and the Shomron Regional Council is determined to combat the phenomenon, which pollutes the air and severely affects the way of life and health of hundreds of thousands of Samaria residents and even more remote communities in the Sharon and Modi'in regions.
At the end of the week, a truck was caught on its way to the illegal burning site. Environmental Protection Officer Benny Elbaz arrived at the site with a team who extinguished the fires and carried out enforcement actions.
The enforcement was carried out after the residents of West Samaria contacted Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, and the Citizens for Clean Air Association, which drew the attention of the Efraim Brigade commander and the Civil Administration.
"We will make sure to preserve the environment and clean air in all of Samaria, this is part of the quality of life, and the basic right of every person," Dagan said, thanking Efraim Commander Idan Katz, the Civil Administration, and Citizens for Clean Air for mobilizing to solve the problem.
Citizens for Clean Air said: "We thank the Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan and the army commanders for their support. We must know that the phenomenon will not stop without permanent solutions. Evacuating waste from the Palestinian villages should be arranged and allocated to the Civil Administration. We call upon the relevant authorities to continue the praiseworthy action and to place the treatment of waste incineration high on the national agenda."
Regavim Movement Judea and Samaria coordinator Yishai Hemo said, "Our mapping shows that over 100 illegal sites for landfilling and burning waste are found throughout Judea and Samaria, and we welcome the rapid action taken by the Civil Administration. But it must be remembered that the best way to prevent delinquency is to hit the criminals with the highest fines in a way that will make this crime not pay. To this end, ongoing supervision and enforcement must be stepped up."