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 on Friday 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.

Family expresses doubt over accountability for killing of mother harvesting olives

Munir Barakat, a member of the Faqqua village council, said, as quoted by Haaretz, that Israeli forces had gathered information about the shooting but expressed little faith in the military’s commitment to a thorough investigation. According to the US State Department’s annual human rights report, less than 1% of complaints against Israeli soldiers resulted in convictions last year. Barakat said, “The family and everyone know that this doesn’t mean anyone will take responsibility for the killing of an innocent woman, a mother, and a grandmother whose only crime was going out to harvest olives.”

OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke voiced his concern, “It is, frankly, very concerning that it’s not only attacks on people, but it’s attacks on their olive groves as well. The olive harvest is an economic lifeline for tens of thousands of Palestinian families in the West Bank.”

He added that UN agencies are evaluating ways to provide support to Palestinians.

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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.

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