Israeli settlers steal olive harvest from Nablus-area village

Palestine

Published: 2017-10-28 11:57

Last Updated: 2024-03-26 19:02


Israeli settlers attack Palestinian lands, steel olive trees produce. (Twitter)
Israeli settlers attack Palestinian lands, steel olive trees produce. (Twitter)

Israeli settlers stole olive harvest from lands belonging to the village of Awarta near Nablus, in the West Bank, early on Saturday, according to Wafa News Agency.

Around 420 olive trees in an orchard belonging to Awarta resident Ata Darwish were harvested, with the produce stolen by settlers.

The orchard is located near the main entrance of Itamar settlement, which was built on illegally confiscated Palestinian lands.

Since the start of olive harvest season, several incidents of settlers attacking Palestinians while picking their olives have been reported, according to Maan, and attacks mostly occur in the presence of Israeli military forces who rarely act to protect Palestinian residents.

The attack is part of numerous similar violations, which witnessed a serious escalation this year, according to Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian Authority official in charge of monitoring Israeli settlement policies.

According to the United Nation's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Palestinian farmers lose $12.3 million in income each year either by having their crops burned down, uprooted or poisoned.

The olive harvest season is an important part of the year, as olives are a major agricultural crop in the Palestinian territories.

It is seen by many Palestinians as a symbol of nationality and connection to the land, according to “Water, Cultural Diversity, and Global Environmental Change: Emerging Trends, Sustainable Futures” project published by UNESCO-IHP project on Water and Cultural Diversity.