“We are forbidden from our source of livelihood”: West Bank farmers talk about the restrictions imposed on them in the olive harvest season

The olive harvest is a major source of livelihood for thousands of families, and an integral part of the Palestinian heritage. The attacks on the harvesting season threaten this heritage and hinder the work of Palestinian farmers and their way of life, as settlers’ attacks have reached the highest levels in at least two decades, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha).

In recent years, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has supported olive and cooperative farmers to improve access to lands and water resources, and has introduced sustainable practices such as inter -agriculture, and helped them increase food and income production using natural resources with more efficiency.

“Unprecedented” risks

Chiro Fiorello, head of the FAO office in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, said: “While the West Bank is preparing for the annual olive picking season, the farmers’ message is clear: this year’s harvest season is of mysterious, and ways of living are subject to unprecedented risks.”

The mix between state policies and the violence of settlers without the Palestinians reached tens of thousands of dunums from agricultural lands and pastures. One dunum is 1000 square meters.

These restrictions contributed to the destruction of the local economy and the displacement of thousands of Palestinian shepherds and farmers, in conditions that may amount to forced transport, according to the United Nations Office for Human Rights.

Youssef*, a Palestinian farmer from Kafr Qaddoum, said to the United Nations news: “They cut our livelihoods. The olive fruits are the main source of livelihood for the farmers. They destroyed the water wells and destroyed everything.”

“We are prevented from reaching our lands”

Youssef explained that the situation exacerbated the last war between Israel and Iran: “Two years ago, we prevented from reaching our lands and until this moment. After the Iran and Israel war, all lands of the northern region were closed from the town of Kafr Qaddoum – including two lands – with an iron gate. The area of ​​these lands is approximately four to five thousand dunums.

As for Muhammad – a Palestinian farmer from the village of Kifl, the goalkeeper, near the Israeli settlement of the Israeli settlement in Salfit Governorate, he says that he was prevented from reaching more than 3,000 dunums of land cultivated in olives within the borders of the settlement. This restriction prevented the possibility of farmers who sponsored their orchards.

Muhammad told United Nations news: “The olive season is the main economic milestone for us as farmers and employees in the public and private sector. It must also be indicated to narrow farmers when they are allowed to reap the fruits in terms of time period and the daily time allowed to be present on the ground. This leads to a very significant increase in the cost of production. Also, we are not allowed to return to the plowing of the land, fertilization and pruning, and this also has negative results on the annual production rate of the olive tree.”

He added that Palestinian farmers have not been given a reason to prevent them from reaching their lands: “We were not informed due to the ban, which led to ruin, damage, weakness in the ground and in olive trees … It must also be noted that we were prevented from harvesting the entire olive fruits in October 2023, which caused a significant material loss. The fruits of the olive trees lead to the spread of trees diseases of all kinds and affect the productivity of trees for consecutive years.”

As for Ahmed – a farmer from the author of the almonds – he said to the office of Osha: “After the settlers placed a trailer on our family’s land, access to more than 200 dunums of agricultural lands, most of which are grown with olive trees.”

Settlers harassment

Youssef said to us from Kafr Qadam: “Since 2023, and after October we were harassed in the town of Kafr Qaddoum in particular and in Palestine in general. We were subjected to all harassment by settlers and by the (Israeli) army, as we were prevented from reaching our lands and harvesting olive fruits. The settlers’ attacks affected all farmers.”

He continued, “I personally prevented from reaching my land and exposed us several times to the settlers and the army, such as theft of olive fruits, stealing olive harvest equipment, sabotaging cars, cutting olive trees, threatening us.

In the opinion of a consultant issued in July 2024, it was concluded International Justice Court Until Israel’s continuous presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is illegal and that it has a commitment to end its illegal existence “as soon as possible.”

In a statement published on July 30, the United Nations Office for Human Rights warned of the escalation of Israeli settlers’ violence “with approval and support, and in some cases, the participation of” Israeli forces.

The statement stated that “the policies of the Israeli government and its legislative measures apparently aim to empty certain areas of the West Bank of the Palestinian population, strengthen the settlement project, and consolidate the inclusion of large parts of the West Bank.”

Youssef addressed an appeal in which he said: “We ask you to work with international institutions in peaceful ways in order to reach a conclusion through which we can reach our lands safely and pick the fruits of our olives and our trees. Most areas are planted with olives, but there are other trees such as aloe vera, figs and almonds. We want to reach our lands.”

Mr. Fiorello, head of the FAO office in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, said: “Along with our partners, Al -Faw is committed to continuing to support local olive cultivation, which is no less important to livelihood and food security than its importance to Palestinian culture and traditions.”

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*The names have been changed in this story to protect the identities of the aforementioned people.