Muataz Bisharat, who oversees the settlement portfolio in the Tubas Governorate, stated that a group of Israeli settlers stormed the area, damaging olive trees belonging to Sultan Swafta, a local Palestinian resident.

The attack targeted an area of approximately 10 dunums, causing significant destruction to olive groves.

Israeli long-standing practices of uprooting Palestinian olive trees come as part of an attempt to undercut the economic and heritage foundations of Palestinian society, which has prided itself for centuries on the growing of olive trees and the production of world-famous olive oil.

Writing in JSTOR last summer, May Wang explains that "For several months each fall, generations of Palestinian families gather for the olive harvest. It’s a critical economic and cultural moment in the year, as olives and their consequent products—cured olives, olive oil, soap—represent the majority of agricultural earnings for Palestinian farmers."

"This economic dependence on olives underscores the longstanding Palestinian cultural identification with the trees, which have been cultivated in the area for thousands of years," adds Wang.

The northern Jordan Valley region has witnessed a series of attacks in recent weeks by the Israeli army and Israeli settlers, who recently established a new outpost in the area.

The ongoing violations have taken various forms, including destroying crops, burning lands, and uprooting fruit-bearing trees. 

Local activists and residents view these actions as a deliberate attempt to weaken the resilience of Palestinian citizens in the region and force them to leave their land.