Palestinian olive harvesters attacked 80 times in Oct by IOF, settlers
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Palestinian olive harvesters are being subjected to abuse by the Israeli occupation forces as they tend to their crops during harvest season.
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Israeli army troops detained Palestinian journalist Hesham Abu Shaqra and denied farmers access to their land in the West Bank town of Qusra, south of Nablus, occupied Palestine, Tuesday, October 29, 2024 (AP)
The Yesh Din Israeli NGO reported a significant rise in violence targeting Palestinian olive harvesters in October, documenting 80 incidents across 42 Palestinian villages, including the village of Bayt Lid near the Einav settlement.
According to Yesh Din, these attacks involved shootings, violent assaults, threats, expulsion of harvesters, prevention of harvesting, crop theft, equipment theft, and the uprooting of olive trees.
Yesh Din also noted that Israeli security personnel were present during 85% of these incidents but did not intervene to stop the attacks.
"The increasing number of incidents and the cooperation between the settlers and security forces personnel raise concerns that the prevention of Palestinian olive harvesting in the West Bank is a deliberate policy of Israel," the group stated.
The surge in violence during the annual olive harvest season has raised alarm among Palestinian communities and human rights advocates, with calls for increased protection for farmers and accountability for perpetrators.
UN voices concern over escalating violence
The UN has reported that Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are facing increasing attacks from Israeli settlers and more violence from the Israeli army as the crucial olive harvest season begins.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) condemned earlier in the month what it described as Israeli use of “war-like” tactics in the occupied West Bank, citing a rise in killings and settler attacks since the olive harvest began the previous week. Between October 8 and 14, nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, according to OCHA.
The agency also documented 32 settler attacks on Palestinians and their property related to the olive harvest since early October. Around 600 olive trees, known for their slow growth, have been destroyed, vandalized, or stolen by settlers, the report noted.
One of the most notable incidents occurred when Hanan Abd Rahman Abu Salameh, a 59-year-old woman, was killed by a soldier while harvesting olives near Jenin. The Israeli soldier fired around 10 shots at her.
Olives are the West Bank’s most significant agricultural product, generating up to $70 million annually for farmers, according to the Palestinian Farmers’ Union. Between 25% and 33% of the West Bank’s Palestinian population is involved in the olive industry, producing items like oil and soap.
It is worth noting that Palestinians have reported severe restrictions on land access during the last two harvests.
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.
