"Haaretz"An unprecedented wave of violence against farmers in the West Bank

An unprecedented wave of violence witnessed in the West Bank during the olive harvest season led to the death and injury of dozens of Palestinians and the destruction of thousands of trees and farmers’ property, in a series of attacks carried out by groups of settlers with partial or implicit support from the occupation forces.

 

A report by the newspaper “Haaretz” explained: Hebrew said that the last two weeks witnessed a series of organized attacks on several Palestinian villages, which included chases, assaults with sticks and knives, shooting, stealing grains, burning cars and cutting down thousands of trees.

These attacks came in light of the harvesting season, which turned from a traditional economic and cultural activity into a season of terror and self-defense, amidst escalating security and climate risks in both. Whether.

 

The report explained prominent bloody cases, including: the martyrdom of citizen Muhammad Al-Shalabi after a chase carried out by settlers in a “pickup” Ramadi, his body was found hours later with signs of fatal blows and gunfire on his back.

Saif al-Din Musalat was also injured after being subjected to a similar attack. He managed to escape temporarily before collapsing unconscious. The attacks included the areas of Douma, Silwad, Nur Shams, Al-Marajat, Kafr Malek, Khirbet Maghayir Al-Deir, Beita, Burin, Dura, Burqa, Naba’ Al-Hamam, and other areas near Ramallah and Nablus, where settlers uprooted thousands of olive trees, looted the crops, and attacked farmers while working in Their fields.

 

 

The newspaper’s report indicated that the details of field attacks indicate a coordinated pattern: “Groups of armed, masked settlers descend from the hills at night and attack farmers, while in some cases the official security forces protect the aggressors, or prevent the farmers from defending their lands, or issuing orders (a closed military zone) preventing the arrival of solidarity and aid. A new settlement outpost was established in the area, and since its establishment, the town’s residents have suffered from shooting incidents, beatings, arson, and the smashing of the front and rear windows of their cars, as settlers and occupation forces attacked citizens, resulting in the injury of 20 citizens, including one wounded by gunfire, in addition to the injury of a female activist, solidarity activists, and journalists, and the burning of eight cars and the smashing of a car. Ambulance.

In the villages of Burin, Al-Mughir and others, settlers cut down hundreds of trees, in some cases thousands, while the army prevented farmers from reaching their lands under the pretext of a “closed military zone,” leaving the aggressors to carry out their attacks with impunity.

Despite these circumstances, the “Olive” campaign was launched. 2025" With broad Palestinian support from activists and international events to encourage farmers to complete the harvest season, despite the danger and the arrests of coordinators such as Rabih Abu Naim, who was administratively detained on the eve of the season.

The report indicates that these attacks aim to undermine the emotional and cultural bond between Palestinians and their land, and an attempt to impose a Jewish reality on the lands of the West Bank, and to transform the olive harvest season from a cultural event. Socially, it leads to a season of fear and constant threat.

It also shows that the occupation and settler groups use systematic violence to weaken the ability of Palestinians to continue farming and defend their land, which leads to indirect agricultural displacement. The report shows the extent of the damage: hundreds of felled trees, dozens of wounded, burning cars, sabotaging crops, and wounding activists and journalists, in addition to obstructing farmers’ access to their lands. The attacks continue at a varying pace throughout the harvesting season, with the continued climatic challenges that reduce the productivity of trees and increase the economic risks to Palestinian farmers.

The report stressed that the Palestinians, despite all these circumstances, insist on clinging to their land and continuing agriculture, in the face of attacks by the occupation and settlers, recording their steadfastness and insistence on preserving their cultural and historical identity.  

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