'Israeli' settlers continue attacks on olive harvesters; 'Israeli' army arrests nine Palestinians
Israeli Occupation Forces on Saturday prevented Palestinian farmers from reaching their lands in several areas of the occupied West Bank, while detaining nine Palestinians during raids, as 'Israeli' settlers continued their assaults on olive harvesters across multiple towns and villages.
Local sources said that 'Israeli' troops barred farmers from accessing their lands near Beit Awwa, southwest of Hebron, and continued for the second consecutive week to close the iron gate leading to farmlands in the town of Kober, northwest of Ramallah, denying farmers access to their olive groves.
In Kafr Malik, east of Ramallah, armed settlers attacked Palestinian farmers and international activists in the “Manatir” area, spraying them with pepper gas and causing several cases of suffocation and burns, according to the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA).
The agency reported that settlers also blocked farmers and solidarity groups from reaching their land, sparking scuffles between the two sides as Israeli forces declared the area a “closed military zone.”
In the northern West Bank, armed settlers attacked olive harvesters in the Wadi al-Hajj Issa area of Aqraba, south of Nablus, injuring three farmers from the nearby town of Qabalan.
The victims were forced to leave their fields under threat from the settlers. In the adjacent town of Duma, 'Israeli' forces also prevented farmers from accessing their olive groves, according to local council head Suleiman Dawabsha, who said settlers have been stealing olives, vandalizing trees, and grazing livestock on Palestinian-owned farmland.
Further south, 'Israeli' soldiers fired tear gas canisters toward farmers in Beit Awwa, Hebron, as they attempted to reach their land. No injuries were reported.
According to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, its field teams documented 158 attacks against olive harvesters since the beginning of this year’s harvest season, 141 carried out by settlers and 17 by 'Israeli' soldiers. The commission added that around 795 olive trees have been damaged or destroyed so far this season, describing the current year as “the most difficult in decades” due to the expansion of “closed military zones” over agricultural areas.
The commission further stated that settler violence has escalated since the start of 'Israel’s' genocide on Gaza on October 8, 2023, with more than 7,000 settler attacks recorded against Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank over the past year.
The olive harvest is one of the most important agricultural seasons in Palestine, providing income for thousands of families. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, olive oil production in 2024 is expected to reach 27,300 tons, compared with just 10,000 tons in 2023, despite the ongoing security restrictions and settler violence.
