Ramallah, Oct. 22 (Petra) – The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC) documented 409 attacks by Israeli settlers and forces against Palestinian olive farmers, their land, trees, and agricultural equipment between October 1 and 21.
According to a commission statement issued Thursday, armed Israeli settlers carried out 317 attacks, while Israeli forces were responsible for 92 incidents. The violations included preventing farmers from accessing their fields, physical assaults, forced expulsions, crop theft, and the destruction of trees and agricultural equipment.
Nablus Governorate recorded the highest number of incidents at 166, followed by Salfit with 91, Ramallah and Al-Bireh with 69, Jenin with 36, Hebron with 30, Qalqilya with nine, Bethlehem with five, and Jerusalem with three. Nablus and Salfit accounted for approximately 63 percent of the total.
The commission documented 287 incidents directly targeting farmers, including 149 cases of intimidation and threats, 50 physical assaults, 29 incidents involving movement restrictions or denial of access to farmland, 18 arrests during harvesting, and 15 cases of detention in olive groves.
It also recorded 14 incidents involving pepper spray and projectiles fired toward farmers, 11 shooting incidents, and the killing of Ali Hassan Al-Bazzari from Burqa, north of Nablus, who died after being shot by settlers while harvesting olives on October 7.
Among the incidents documented, settlers reportedly attacked olive harvesters in the Ma'in area of Masafer Yatta on October 17, under the protection of Israeli forces. One Palestinian sustained a live-fire injury, while two others suffered fainting and burns following exposure to pepper spray.
On October 16, three farmers sustained injuries and bruises in a settler attack during olive harvesting in Asira Al-Qibliya, while other farmers were injured in Beita on the same day.
Separately, the commission documented 122 incidents targeting olive trees, farmland, agricultural equipment, and property associated with the harvest.
These included 57 cases of olive theft, 23 incidents involving the seizure or theft of agricultural equipment, 12 cases of olive tree damage, 11 incidents of tree cutting or uprooting, seven cases of fires set on olive-planted land, five incidents of tree vandalism, four cases of property arson, and three incidents of land bulldozing.
The reported violations also included the theft of harvested olives, harvesting tools, and ground sheets, as well as attacks on farmers' vehicles during crop transportation.
In Qabalan on October 16, settlers reportedly attacked and overturned a Palestinian's vehicle before stealing bags of olives. In Rantis, farmers were detained for more than two hours, while Israeli forces seized two bags of olives and two harvesting machines.
The commission called for measures to ensure farmers can safely access their land, complete the olive harvest, and transport their crops without interference. It also urged an end to the attacks and accountability for those responsible.
//Petra// AO
