ActionAid: Olive Harvest has become a Nightmare for Palestinian Families with Rising Israeli Settlers Attacks

Occupied West Bank- ActionAid Palestine (AAP) supported Palestinian youth initiatives seeking to help Palestinian farmers and show solidarity with them during olive harvest in the villages of Battir and Nahalin which face increasing Israeli settlers. More than 30 young people joined farmers in those villages.  

Palestinian farmers have been experiencing a sharp increase in movement restrictions in accessing their lands, violence, intimidation, severe harassment and attacks by Israeli armed settlers. The Palestinian farmers are exposed to physical assaults, setting fire or damaging their property and crops, stealing sheep, blocking them from accessing their land, water and grazing areas. 

In many areas of West Bank, farmers are prevented from accessing their lands and harvesting olives and even though they need to obtain permission to access their land and harvest olives which is known “coordination system” according to the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in Occupied Territories, B’Tselem. This means that the main official measure Israel uses is the “coordination” system, conceived as the military’s response to settler violence against Palestinian harvesters. Instead of dealing directly with assaults by settlers, the military places the onus on Palestinians, demanding they coordinate access to their land in advance – ostensibly so soldiers can be sent to protect them. In practice, this system limits the harvest or prevents it altogether. Harvesting all the olives takes weeks, but the military enables farmers access to their trees for several days only. This means they are unable to harvest the entire crop or prepare the land for winter crops. At the same time, this system does not stop settler violence. Soldiers often do not show up despite prior “coordination” with the military; when they do, they do not prevent or stop the violence, often even joining in.” 

Mariam Muamar is a Palestinian farmer living in Battair village in the governorate of Bethlehem in the south of West Bank. Mariam faces many restrictions in reaching her lands and picking her olives. Mariam recalls beautiful memories of picking olive with her family years ago and compares those memories to current situation saying:“ we are afraid of reaching our lands nowadays due to threats of armed settlers . I and my children enjoyed picking olive, We used to enjoy cooking and having our lunch . olive harvest was a picnic day for us. We were cooking our meals in our fields without fear. but our rituals of olive harvest were changed. I am afraid of taking my young sons to pick olive, they might be at risk of arrest by Israeli army. We are worried and intimated all the time by armed settlers who come to steal our lands. We pick olives quickly nowadays need coordination to reach our lands”.  

Mariam also suffers from climate change impacting the quality and quantity of olives and oil. Mariam says : “ the olive harvest in the past was better since late rains causes low productivity and drought”.  

Israa’ is a young volunteer who participated in olive picking saying: “ we are happy to assist farmers who face difficulties in reaching their lands amid attacks of Israeli settlers and cutting of Israeli settlers. We are here to restore the principle of “O’nah” which means cooperation where all family members and neighbors gathered to pick olive. Olive trees are very important for us as Palestinians connected to our resilience, identity and lands”    

Ahmad Al-Harbook is a farmer who can’t reach his lands: “We  need coordination and permits to reach our lands nowadays.  There was huge suffering during this year . The olive harvest in the past was a happy occasion for picnic day, entertainment and joy for members of the family and sons, but these moments disappeared. We are afraid of taking our children and families because there might be Israeli settlers and army attacks. Accessing our lands and picking our olives have become nightmare”.   

According to information, on 17 October, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian woman while harvesting olives in Faqua’a In Jenin Governorate in the northern West Bank. 

As for 17th of October 2024, OCHA documented since the beginning of October 51 settler-related incidents, including 32 that led to casualties, property damage or both, which took place in 57 communities across the West Bank. The majority of the incidents were related to the olive harvest season whereby Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians or prevented them from gaining access to their lands and damaged trees, stole crops and harvesting tools. According to community sources, more than half of these incidents entailed prevention of access to lands where they had previously not faced similar access restrictions. Overall, since 1 October 2024, 54 Palestinians were injured within the context of settler attacks against Palestinians, including 44 by Israeli settlers and 10 by Israeli forces. Furthermore, about 600 (mainly olive) trees and saplings were burnt, sawed off, had their crops stolen, or otherwise vandalized since 1 October, affecting farmers in about 15 communities across the West Bank. 

The Palestinians are very connected to olive and it is a main component and part of Palestinian culture, identity and economy. The families are waiting olive harvest all the year since they considered it the most important agricultural product of the year, costing farmers millions in lost harvests, damaged trees, and ruined land. The olive oil industry—making up 15% of the West Bank’s agricultural GDP and supporting 100,000 families—faces an estimated $50 million in losses this season. 

About ActionAid International

ActionAid International is a global federation working with over 41 million people living in more than 72 of the world's poorest countries. We envision a world characterized by justice and sustainability, where every individual has the right to a dignified life and freedom, and a world free from poverty and oppression. We strive to achieve social justice, gender equality, and eradicate poverty.

ActionAid Palestine began its work in Palestine in 2007 to strengthen the resilience of the Palestinian people, believing in their right to enjoy freedom, justice, and self-determination. ActionAid Palestine implements several programs through its engagement with Palestinian communities and youth and women’s groups, aiming to empower women and youth and enhance their active civil and political participation to understand their rights and undertake collective action to address the rights violations resulting from the prolonged occupation, in addition to improving their leadership capacity and practicing their citizenship in holding authorities and other duty bearers accountable.

For more information, please contact:

Riham Jafari 

Communication and Advocacy Officer at ActionAid Palestine 

Email: Riham.Jafari@actionaid.org