West Bank: The War on the Olive Tree

The olive harvest in the occupied West Bank has become a violent contest for survival this year, with United Nations officials describing it as the bloodiest season since records began. In the first two weeks of October, at least 160 attacks by Israeli settlers were registered in connection with the harvest. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs recorded 1,836 incidents involving injury or property damage in 2025. By the end of July 2026, that number had already reached 1,418. Harvest workers face constant threats from masked figures who stand on hills overlooking fields, preventing laborers from working. One helper, Ammar Hamayel, told Deutsche Welle that while his family usually collects sixty or seventy sacks at this time, they managed only three or four before being attacked. Under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government, which includes Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a self-described settler, the number of illegal settlement outposts has risen since the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023. Attacks during the harvest have increased alongside these settlements. Settlers often arrive with batons and throw stones, sometimes with military support. Their violence targets both people and trees. Between 2023 and late September 2026, more than 286,000 olive trees were damaged. Of those, 100,000 were destroyed before the current harvest season even started. The trees hold deep cultural significance for Palestinian families, making their destruction a profound loss. Tensions escalated further following recent attacks on Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine and European diplomats last week. Despite these incidents, Netanyahu defended the settlers, noting they operate illegally under Israeli law but receive state and private funding. The situation grew more volatile ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27. On Friday, a shootout near Hebron in the southern West Bank killed two Israeli soldiers and injured three others. Two Palestinian attackers reportedly opened fire. Netanyahu blamed the Islamic terrorist organization Hamas for the incident. Hamas issued a letter praising the attack but did not claim responsibility. In response, the prime minister launched an anti-terrorism operation that began immediately. The army and the Shin Bet domestic intelligence service conducted operations at dozens of locations aimed at locating and dismantling terrorist infrastructure. Residents of the affected areas were forced to leave after interrogations, and roadblocks were established. Images showed bulldozers demolishing buildings in the occupied city of Hebron. Security forces described the structures as illegal and potential security threats. Israeli flags hung from some houses apparently taken over by soldiers. The Palestinian Authority condemned the actions as collective punishment against the civilian population. Yousef al-Jabari, the mayor of Hebron, told Al Jazeera that 2,200 people had been displaced from their homes since Friday. The Ibrahimi Mosque, a landmark of the city, was sealed off. All staff members were required to leave, and prayers inside were banned. Meanwhile, five Italian citizens detained in the West Bank were released and returned home on Saturday, according to the Italian Foreign Ministry. They had been arrested on Thursday in the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba while attempting to protect Palestinian farmers during the harvest. Italian diplomat Antonio Tajani intervened to secure their release. Embassy staff visited the women at the airport on Friday evening, reporting them to be in good physical condition. Palestinian Agriculture Minister Rizeq Salimiya previously called 2025 the worst season in sixty years. This year’s conditions appear worse, driven by rapid colonization expansion since December 2022 and perceived impunity for settler violence. For many families, harvesting olives now means risking their lives daily. The combination of military operations, settler aggression, and political maneuvering creates a precarious environment for residents. As the harvest continues, the threat level shows no signs of decreasing. The focus remains on the immediate safety of workers and the preservation of agricultural land amidst ongoing conflict.