On Wednesday, a wave of violence across seven West Bank governorates disrupted the critical olive harvest. Palestinian farmers faced a series of coordinated attacks involving shootings, land destruction, and crop seizures, according to the Palestinian Commission on the Wall and Settlement Resistance.
Shooting in Osarin and the bulldozing of Rajmanat
In a 12-hour window on Wednesday, the Palestinian Commission on the Wall and Settlement Resistance documented 23 separate acts of violence and sabotage. The Nablus governorate saw some of the most aggressive confrontations,including an incident in Osarin where an Israeli soldier fired a live round into the hand of a local farmer. these incidents occurred across a wide geographic range, stretching from the northern Nablus region to the southern Hebron governorate.
In the Madama area, the destruction was mechanical as bulldozers leveled olive-planted land in Rajmanat, effectively erasing years of cultivation. In Burqa,the threat was incendiary, as settlers reportedly set fields ablaze during the peak of the harvest. These actions directly target the agricultural assets that sustain local families.
Gunfire in Birin and the theft of olives in Jalud
The violence was not contained to the north; in the southern Hebron area, settlers in Birin opened fire on olive pickers. Beyond direct gunfire, the report says that in Jalud School and Beit Furik, armed settlers approached harvesters,threw their olives to the ground, and seized the produce by force. This pattern of theft and intimidation extended to Qaryut, Awarta, and Tell, where settlers targeted and attempted to expropriate essential farm equipment.
The use of closed military zones in Turmus Ayya
The intersection of military policy and settlement expansion has created significant barriers to agricultural work. in the Qalqilya and Jenin governorates, farmers were forced from their land by settlers even though they had obtained the required permits to work the fields. This tension is exacerbated by the declaration of Turmus Ayya as a closed military zone , which prevents access to groves during the most critical window of the year.
As reported by the Commission, these military closures and the ongoing expulsion of landowners undermine the economic stability of entire Palestinian communities.. The timing of these restrictions coincides with the period that brings vital income to hundreds of families, creating a cycle of economic instability.
The legal status of detained US and Russian activists
While the Commission reported the detention of a US Democratic Congress candidate and a Russian activist in Nahalin and Taybeh, several critical details remain unverified. it is currently unknown what specific legal charges are being leveled against these international observers or how long they will be held in custody. Furthermore, the report does not clarify if there will be any formal investigations into the settlers who seized crops in Jalud or the soldiers involved in the Osarin shooting. The lack of clear accountability for these 23 documented incidents remains a central concern for local activists.
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