Escalation of Settler Attacks on Olive Pickers in the West Bank
Recent reports indicate a troubling rise in settler attacks on Palestinian olive farmers in the occupied West Bank, particularly during the critical olive harvest season. The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture has expressed grave concerns, predicting that farmers will be unable to access approximately 80,000 dunams of olive-planted land this year due to these violent confrontations, which could result in a significant loss of about 15% of the season's crop.
On October 12, 2024, several areas in the West Bank, including regions east of Ramallah and south of Nablus, experienced a series of coordinated assaults by Israeli settlers. These attacks were reportedly aimed at destroying olive trees and intimidating farmers to prevent them from harvesting their crops. The mayor of Qusra, Hani Odeh, reported that settlers from the Yesh Kodesh settlement threatened farmers with weapons, compelling them to abandon their work in the fields.
In the village of Yasuf, north of Salfit, settlers from the Taffuah settlement were reported to have cut down ten fruitful olive trees, each over 25 years old, belonging to local villagers. Wael Abu Madi, the village council head, noted that these attacks are part of a broader pattern of violence against the community that has escalated since the beginning of the month.
The situation has been exacerbated by the ongoing Israeli military operations in the region, which have claimed the lives of 749 Palestinians and injured approximately 6,250 others since the onset of the latest aggression on October 7, 2023. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has highlighted that these restrictions on movement and settler violence are severely impacting Palestinian farmers, threatening their livelihoods and exacerbating economic losses in the territories.
As the olive harvest season typically runs from October to November, the frequency of these attacks tends to spike, making it a perilous time for local farmers. Palestinian statistics reveal that since 2012, around 278,000 olive trees have been destroyed, primarily due to settler violence and military actions. This year's harvest, already challenging due to the broader conflict, faces additional hurdles as farmers navigate the dangers posed by both settlers and the Israeli army.
