Intensified Settler Attacks Target West Bank Olive Harvest

The olive harvest season in the occupied West Bank is being marred by an intensified wave of Israeli settler violence, according to Palestinian and U.N. officials.

One reported incident involved Afaf Abu Alia, a 55-year-old Palestinian woman, who was allegedly clubbed on the head by a masked settler while picking olives near the village of Turmus Ayya on October 19.

The Palestinian Authority's Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC) reported at least 158 settler attacks across the West Bank since the harvest began in the first week of October. Ajith Sunghay, head of the U.N. Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, noted a 13% rise in settler attacks during the first two weeks of the 2025 harvest compared to the same period in 2024.

Activists and farmers emphasize that the violence has escalated since the Hamas-led attacks two years ago, asserting that the settlers target olive trees because they symbolize Palestinian connection to the land and "steadfastness."

Sunghay stated that this season's attacks have included burning groves, chain-sawing trees, and destroying homes and infrastructure. He further remarked that the violence occurs "with the acquiescence, support, and in many cases participation, of Israeli security forces and always with impunity."

The Mateh Binyamin Regional Council, which governs Israeli West Bank settlements in the region, stated it condemned "every instance of violence" but noted that settlers carry weapons solely for "self-defense."

The expansion of settlements in the West Bank remains a key factor in the fragmentation of land intended for a future Palestinian state.