A 59-year-old Palestinian woman, Hanan Abdel Rahman Abu Salama, was shot and killed by Israeli forces on Thursday while attending to her family’s olive grove in the village of Faqoua, near Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed her martyrdom, stating she was killed by Israeli occupation forces' gunfire.

♦️تشييع جثمان الشهيدة حنان أبو سلامة بعد ارتقائها برصاص قوات الاحتلال خلال قطفها الزيتون مع عائلتها في بلدة #فقوعة المحاذية لجدار الفصل العنصري. pic.twitter.com/nMA60Z597V

— قدس فيد (@quds_feed) October 17, 2024

According to her son, Faris Abu Salama, the family had permission from Israeli forces to harvest their olives but were shot at by soldiers stationed on a nearby separation wall.

"We were much further than the minimum distance from the wall, but they started shooting randomly," Faris said.

Despite attempts by medical teams to save her, Abu Salama succumbed to her injuries.

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The local mayor, Barakat al-Omari, corroborated that the family was more than 150 meters from the wall when Israeli forces opened fire.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said that despite efforts to resuscitate her, she could not be saved on the way to the hospital.

Harvest turned bloody

This incident is part of a broader pattern of violence and disruption against Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest season, which runs from October to November.

Palestinian farmers have faced increasing attacks from Israeli settlers and soldiers, with olive trees being set on fire, crops stolen, and farmers prevented from accessing their land.

According to the United Nations, this year’s olive harvest in the West Bank is one of the most dangerous in recent memory.

Read more: UN to demand 'Israel' end 'unlawful' occupation within 12 months

The olive harvest is a vital lifeline for between 80,000 to 100,000 Palestinian families in the West Bank, and olive trees cover nearly half of Palestinian agricultural land in the region.

However, attacks on Palestinian farmers by extremist Israeli settlers, often escorted by Israeli forces, have worsened, escalating in recent months.

Since October 7, when the Israeli aggression in Gaza began, at least 738 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank by either Israeli troops or settlers.