Escalating Violence During Olive Harvest in West Bank, UN Reports

 

The olive harvest season in the occupied West Bank is marked by increasing violence, with the United Nations reporting a rise in attacks by Israeli settlers and military forces. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there have been nine fatalities linked to Israeli actions between October 8 and 14, 2024.

The UN highlighted a troubling pattern of what it termed “war-like” tactics being employed in the West Bank, which have resulted in heightened killings and assaults against Palestinians since the harvest began last week. OCHA recorded 32 separate incidents of settler violence directed at Palestinians and their properties, leading to the destruction of around 600 olive trees through vandalism or arson.

One of the most notable incidents involved the shooting of Hanan Abd Rahman Abu Salameh, a 59-year-old woman who was killed while picking olives in the village of Faqqua, near Jenin. Reports indicate that a soldier fired approximately ten shots at her. Munir Barakat, a member of the village council, expressed skepticism about the Israeli military’s commitment to investigate the incident, citing a dismal conviction rate for complaints against soldiers, which was less than 1% last year.

Jens Laerke, a spokesperson for OCHA, expressed deep concern over both the direct attacks on individuals and the destruction of their olive groves, emphasizing the significance of the olive harvest as a vital source of income for thousands of Palestinian families in the West Bank. The Palestinian Farmers’ Union estimates that olive farming generates approximately $70 million annually, with a quarter to a third of the West Bank’s population involved in the cultivation or production of olive-based products.

Historically, the olive harvest has been a cooperative effort, with local Palestinian authorities and the Israeli military coordinating access for farmers. However, following the Hamas attack on October 7 last year, access to olive trees in areas under Israeli control has become severely restricted, leading to growing tensions.

The violence in the West Bank has intensified alongside the conflict in Gaza over the past year, resulting in casualties on both sides, including numerous Israeli fatalities from Palestinian street attacks.