80 volunteers detained by Israeli forces in West Bank

Israeli military and police forces detained approximately 80 volunteers, including a US Democratic congressional candidate, on Wednesday in the occupied West Bank. The group was accompanying Palestinian farmers during the annual olive harvest in farmland near Bethlehem. Rights organizations stated that the detainees were held after Israeli forces identified the location as a closed military zone. The incident marks one of the largest mass detentions of activists in the region in at least ten years, according to two Israeli lawyers familiar with the case. Brad Lander, a Jewish American and former New York City comptroller, was among those seized. Lander serves as the Democratic Party nominee for New York’s 10th congressional district in the upcoming midterms. He posted on the social media platform X that he was detained by the Israel Defense Forces alongside a group of rabbis and volunteers. "We were simply harvesting olives in a grove near Nehalim in the West Bank," Lander wrote. "The occupation is a crime under international law. Harvesting olives isn't a crime under any law I know." He shared a photograph showing himself on a bus with what appeared to be a police officer and a masked soldier. Lander was released relatively quickly, reportedly after three hours in custody. According to the New York Times, Israeli officials explicitly told him he was being freed because of his status as an elected official or political figure. Lander later noted that his release was due to his prominence, adding that Palestinians face far worse consequences daily. He characterized the detentions as another attempt to undermine Palestinian rights to harvest olives, travel on roads, and live in their homes. Other detainees remain in holding facilities. Anton Goodman, acting director of the Israeli organization Rabbis for Human Rights, stated that Lander was the only one released initially. The remaining individuals were taken to a police station in an Israeli settlement. Non-Israeli and non-Palestinian citizens were expected to be transferred to an Israeli military base for questioning. Rabbi Jill Jacobs, chief executive of the Jewish North American rights group T'ruah, was among those still detained. She described the group as having been "very peacefully" picking olives when forces arrived. Jacobs, a 51-year-old conservative rabbi from Manhattan, said the group was transported to the station on two separate buses. Some were moved inside, while others waited on buses outside. She reported that no formal accusations had been made against the group, and it remained unclear whether charges would be filed. The volunteer group included citizens from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, Germany, and Australia. T'ruah stated that the volunteers accompanied local farmers to provide solidarity against threats of violence from Israeli settlers. The group included 33 US citizens. Israeli police said they detained Palestinian olive pickers and dozens of Israeli and foreign activists collecting olives near the fence of an Israeli settlement. Police asserted that the activity was prohibited. The military stated that harvesting in that specific area required prior coordination with authorities to ensure security and public order. The army maintained that such coordination had not occurred, citing a security risk associated with an uncoordinated harvest near a settlement. The military did not state that the harvest itself was banned, only that the lack of coordination necessitated detention. The Israeli Foreign Ministry criticized Lander, labeling the incident a "calculated political stunt." Officials said he ignored guidance to coordinate with Israeli authorities. "This was not about harvesting olives. It was about harvesting headlines," the ministry said. The olive harvest is a vital economic and cultural event for Palestinians. The Palestinian Authority’s agriculture ministry indicates that the sector accounts for roughly 8 percent of the Gross Domestic Product and supports more than 60,000 jobs. Violence involving Israeli settlers has surged in recent months. Rights groups document frequent attacks, thefts, and vandalism against Palestinians during the season. Separately, an Irish national named Ian Hutcheson, 62, was detained on Thursday in the village of Al-Buweib, south of Hebron. He was part of a smaller group of twelve visitors who claimed they were visiting a Palestinian family and not participating in the harvest or activism. Hutcheson was taken to a police station and subsequently transferred to an immigration center. His daughter, Grainne, confirmed that he was placed on a flight to return to Ireland in the early hours of the morning. The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs stated it was providing consular assistance. People Before Profit councillor Conor Reddy condemned the arrest, calling it outrageous that Hutcheson was detained and set for deportation for offering support to Palestinians. Another incident occurred in the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, where masked Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian olive farmers. Dozens of settlers, armed with clubs, sticks, and slingshots, threw rocks and set olive trees on fire. Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine was present and was beaten by the settlers despite wearing a press vest and helmet. She suffered a broken rib, four broken vertebrae, and lacerations. Her equipment and personal items were stolen. Ten people were arrested in the previous week following settler attacks on European politicians and journalists. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address the surge in settler violence. An Israeli military spokesperson declined to comment immediately, and the Israel Police and US Embassy in Jerusalem did not respond to inquiries.