An olive tree vandalized by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian village of Qaryut, Nablus, April 2023. Photo by OCHA
During September-November 2023, OCHA documented 113 harvest-related cases where Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians, damaged their trees or stole crops and harvesting tools. Of these, ten incidents resulted in casualties and property damage, another ten resulted in casualties but not property damage, and 93 incidents resulted in damage but not casualties. Over 2,000 trees were vandalized during these incidents.
On at least 38 occasions, Palestinian farmers or other eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces had accompanied the attackers or that the latter had been wearing military uniforms while expelling Palestinians from farmlands or taking over olives and tools.
Make no mistake, Israeli settler violence is state sanctioned terrorism and ecocide, working in tandem with the Israeli military and government. Israel cannot pretend to divorce itself from this settler violence as "fringe extremists" when it arms, backs, and protects the perpetrators.
Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
Interested in ways to help? The International Solidarity Movement is looking for volunteers to assist in the 2024 Olive Harvest Campaign. ISM volunteers work together with Faz3a, a Palestinian youth-led campaign that supports Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest, other organizations, and Palestinian families to show solidarity and support during this season.