DaysofPal- Palestinian farmers across the occupied West Bank are facing the most violent olive harvest season in at least five years, as Israeli settlers intensify assaults under the protection of Israeli forces.
According to data compiled by monitoring groups, at least 126 attacks on farmers and agricultural workers were documented in the first three weeks of October alone.
The incidents, which include physical assaults, harassment, and the burning and uprooting of olive trees, have affected over 70 Palestinian communities, with more than 4,000 trees destroyed so far. The damage is more than twice what was recorded during the same period last year.
In the past week alone, 17 Palestinians were injured, and 60 settler-related incidents were reported, more than half of which specifically targeted olive harvesters and their groves.
The annual olive harvest, a cornerstone of Palestinian rural life and a vital source of income for thousands of families, has become increasingly perilous amid expanding Israeli settlements.
Farmers say that new settler outposts, many established illegally even under Israeli law, have made it nearly impossible to access their land in some areas.
“Every year it gets worse,” said Abu Fadi, a 58-year-old farmer from the village of Burin near Nablus.
“They come down from the hilltops with guns and dogs, burn our trees, and attack our sons. The army watches and does nothing.” He added.
Human rights groups, including B’Tselem and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), have repeatedly warned that settler violence is part of a systematic effort to drive Palestinians off their land.
The attacks often occur in the presence of Israeli soldiers, who rarely intervene.
Since the start of the Gaza war in 2023, the West Bank has seen a sharp escalation in settler violence, with armed settlers taking over farmland and establishing new outposts under military protection.
In several incidents this month, settlers were filmed cutting down or setting fire to olive trees as families attempted to begin their annual harvest.
The harvest season, which typically runs from early October to mid-November, is not only an economic lifeline but also a cultural and emotional bond between Palestinians and their ancestral land. However, this year, many families have been forced to abandon their groves out of fear of attack.
“It’s not just about olives,” said a community leader from Salfit, noting that “It’s about identity, heritage, and belonging. And they are trying to sever that completely.”
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