Israeli Aggression and Settler Attacks Threaten Palestinian Olive Harvest

According to SAEDNEWS, The olive harvest season in Palestine is facing severe challenges this year due to ongoing violence and attacks. A year-long Israeli campaign in the Gaza Strip and increasing assaults by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank have left many farmers worried about their livelihoods.

In the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, Palestinian farmers are harvesting olives by hand while remaining vigilant for Israeli drones and warplanes. Rami Abu Asad, a farmer in Deir el-Balah, Gaza, expressed his mixed feelings: “We are happy that the olive season has started but we are afraid because we are in a state of war.” He highlighted the dire situation in Jabalia, just north of him, where a recent Israeli military operation has escalated the conflict.

Since October 7, 2023, the violence in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of over 42,000 people, many of whom are civilians. The United Nations reports that much of Gaza has been devastated, with around 68% of agricultural areas damaged. Alarmingly, the National Office for the Defense of Land and Resistance to Settlement announced that 75% of olive trees in Gaza have been destroyed. Asad mentioned, “The number of remaining olive trees is very small, and the costs are very high.”

This year's estimated olive harvest in Gaza is only 15,000 tons, far less than the usual 40,000 tons, due to the destruction and supply shortages. The quality of remaining olives is also expected to suffer.

In the occupied West Bank, fears of settler violence loom large for farmers. Khaled Abdallah, a farmer near the Beit El settlement, chose not to harvest olives this year. He said, “I didn’t even consider going to these lands close to the colony, because the situation is very dangerous.” Abdallah used to coordinate with Israeli rights organizations to secure permission to access his land, but noted that “there are no longer any rights organizations capable of protecting us from settler attacks.”

The United Nations recently accused Israel of using “war-like” tactics against Palestinians in the West Bank, highlighting the violence faced by farmers. UN experts warned that this could be the “most dangerous olive season ever” for Palestinian farmers.

Settlers have a history of attacking Palestinian olive groves. Just this week, settlers in Jaloud destroyed 60 trees by spraying them with toxins. According to the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, attacks by settlers have significantly increased this year, with many farmers being blocked from their lands for years.

Tragic incidents have also occurred during the harvest. Earlier this week, a woman was shot and killed by Israeli forces while she was picking olives with her family in Faqoua village near Jenin.

The olive harvest season is a critical time for Palestinian families, with between 80,000 and 100,000 families relying on it for their livelihoods. With ongoing violence and instability, this essential source of income is under serious threat. As tensions rise, the situation for Palestinian farmers grows ever more precarious.