WEST BANK, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission documented 15 attacks by Israeli occupation forces and settlers against Palestinian farmers and agricultural land across the occupied West Bank within just 12 hours on Monday, including the burning and uprooting of olive trees, land bulldozing, destruction of water sources, crop theft, arrests of farmers, and vehicle confiscation.
The commission said the attacks took place between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., affecting the governorates of Salfit, Nablus, Ramallah and al-Bireh, Bethlehem, Qalqilya, and al-Khalil.
The escalation coincided with Israeli authorities beginning construction of a new concrete wall alongside agricultural land belonging to the village of Marda, north of Salfit.
Olive trees burnt and agricultural land bulldozed
In the Salfit governorate, Jewish settlers set fire to agricultural land and centuries-old olive trees in the al-Badoun area of Iskaka village, east of Salfit.
The attack was part of a series of assaults in the Wadi al-Shaer area, between Salfit and the town of al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, following the Israeli military’s removal of a settlement outpost that settlers had repeatedly attempted to establish on Palestinian land.
Settlers also burned tires on roads, blocked the main highway, and threw stones at Palestinian vehicles, disrupting traffic and endangering motorists.
In Marda, Israeli authorities began constructing a concrete wall alongside the Trans-Samaria settlement highway, while simultaneously bulldozing agricultural land and uprooting hundreds of mature, fruit-bearing olive trees.
The commission warned that the wall threatens to isolate additional agricultural areas and prevent Palestinian landowners from accessing their property.
In the Nablus governorate, Jewish settlers entered agricultural land in the al-Joura area of Qaryut village under the protection of Israeli forces.
They used a chainsaw to cut down mature, fruit-bearing olive trees in the al-Dabab area.
Settlers also released their livestock onto farmland in the al-Ain area of Qusra, while others entered land belonging to al-Naqoura village and destroyed a water well at Ein al-Kafarat.
Crops stolen and farmers attacked during olive harvest
The Ramallah and al-Bireh governorate witnessed several attacks targeting agricultural land and Palestinian residents.
Jewish settlers released their livestock onto farmland in the al-Baqara area of al-Mazra’a al-Sharqiya and stole olives from the al-Batin area near Sinjil.
Other settlers harassed residents near their homes in Burqa and bulldozed agricultural land in the Turmus Ayya plain, near the home of the Abu Awwad family.
In al-Mughayyir, settlers entered the agricultural plain, intimidated residents, and prevented them from approaching their land.
Elsewhere, settlers attacked a Palestinian family harvesting olives in the al-Maysha area of Deir Ammar and drove their sheep onto Palestinian farmland in Kafr Malik during the harvest season.
Israeli forces also arrested and assaulted a Palestinian farmer while he was harvesting olives on land belonging to Tuqu’, southeast of Bethlehem.
In the al-Wadat area of Hajjah, in the Qalqilya governorate, Israeli forces arrested a young Palestinian man during the olive harvest and confiscated his vehicle.
In al-Khalil, settlers released their livestock onto olive-planted farmland in the Hamroush area of Sa’ir.
Attacks threaten to isolate Palestinian agricultural land
The commission warned that the attacks form part of an escalating campaign aimed at undermining Palestinian agricultural production and restricting farmers’ access to their land.
It stressed that the violations extend beyond the olive harvest season to include the construction of walls, land bulldozing, tree uprooting, destruction of water sources, crop theft, and arrests of farmers.
According to the commission, these measures threaten to turn restrictions on Palestinian access to agricultural land into a permanent geographical reality, separating farmers from their property and livelihoods.
The commission called on the international community to intervene urgently to protect Palestinian farmers, their property, and water resources and to hold those responsible for the destruction and seizure of agricultural land accountable.
3,133 Israeli attacks recorded in October
In a related monthly report released Monday, the commission documented 3,133 attacks by Israeli occupation forces and settlers against Palestinians, their land, and property across the occupied West Bank during October.
The figure represents a 52.8% increase compared with September.
According to the report, Israeli forces carried out 1,764 attacks, while Jewish settlers were responsible for 1,369, marking a 111.6% increase in settler attacks compared with the previous month.
The commission also documented damage to 5,890 trees during October, including 4,498 olive trees, highlighting the escalating attacks on Palestinian agricultural land during the olive harvest season.
