Israeli security forces block a Palestinian man from reaching his land to harvest olives, in the village of Kobar, near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. AFP
In the town of Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah, two Palestinians and a foreign activist were injured after settlers raided farmland in the Wadi Ammar area, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
Security sources told WAFA the settlers attacked olive pickers, beating a young man, a woman, and a foreign volunteer. Israeli forces accompanying the settlers fired live rounds, forced farmers off their land, and barred them from continuing their harvest.
Settlers also torched two vehicles, while the army set up a temporary checkpoint at the town’s entrance and searched several cars.
In Rujeib, east of Nablus, settlers from the Itamar settlement attacked farmers and blocked them from reaching their olive groves. Others stormed Al-Mughayyir village, stole harvested olives, and prevented residents from accessing their land. In Sinjil, settlers invaded farmlands in the Al-Batin area.
In Salfit, settlers backed by Israeli forces prevented farmers and activists, including Minister Moayyad Shaaban, head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, and Salfit Governor Mustafa Taqatqa, from joining the olive harvest in Al-Biqa’a, near the southern village of Farha.
Attacks on Palestinian farmers intensify during the olive harvest each year, often destroying livelihoods and reinforcing the restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation.
According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, settlers have carried out 7,154 attacks against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank since 7 October 2023, killing 33 people. Israeli forces and settlers have also uprooted, burned, or damaged 48,728 trees, including 37,237 olive trees.
Raids and arrests across the West Bank
In parallel with the settler assaults, Israeli forces detained at least 20 Palestinians, including three children and several former prisoners, in overnight raids that continued into Sunday morning across the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Club said the arrests were part of ongoing systematic campaigns focused on Nablus, Salfit, Qalqilya, and Ramallah.
In Nablus, a Palestinian man died from his wounds after being shot by Israeli forces in the Ain refugee camp, medical sources told Al Jazeera.
In Tubas, Israeli troops carried out a large-scale raid involving field interrogations, assaults on residents, and extensive property destruction, including homes and public infrastructure.
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