For many decades, Israel has targeted Palestinian agricultural lands, fully aware of their significance to the Palestinians as traditionally more than a source of income. It also represents a deep ancestral connection, community resilience, a sense of belonging, and an expression of Palestinian identity. However, with the escalation that ensued Israel’s military aggression on Gaza in the occupied West Bank post October 7, 2023, Israel has accelerated the annexation of Palestinian agricultural land across the occupied West Bank, notably through declaring it “state land”. Since the current Israeli government took office in December 2022, Israel has declared approximately 25,960 dunums of Palestinian land as “state land”, one of the primary tools used to expropriate Palestinian property. Once declared, Palestinians are barred from access or use, while the land is allocated exclusively to settlements and Israeli interests.
This policy is supported by Israeli settlers’ attacks on Palestinian agricultural lands, which have been on an alarming rise since October 2025, the beginning of the annual olive harvest. In just one week, Israeli settlers mounted at least 71 attacks between 7 and 10 Oct 2025, in 27 Palestinian villages, resulting in one Palestinian being murdered, 99 Palestinians being injured, and more than 27 olive trees being destroyed.
Settlers’ violent attacks on agricultural lands in the oPt must be perceived in the context of a broader Israeli systemic policy that facilitates the confiscation and annexation of Palestinian lands, aiming to maintain control over land and displace the Palestinian population. Since October 7th, 2023, over 7,154 settler attacks have been documented against Palestinians and their property, resulting in 33 murders. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), also reported that over 1,000 attacks by settlers in the year 2025 so far, which makes it one of the most violent years. More than 60 Palestinian communities are identified as being at high risk of settler violence, especially during the harvest season.
In addition to violent settlers’ attacks that prohibit Palestinians from accessing their lands, particularly those located near or behind settlements and military zones, Israel introduced additional ‘administrative’ barriers that further impede their access.
For example, this year, in the Wadi Fukin area in Bethlehem, the Israeli Occupation Forces have been preventing access to farmers and their family members unless their ID indicates that their place of residence in the ID is Wadi Fukin. This further restricts the ability of many landowners who are not residents of Wadi Fukin but own lands there to access their lands on the one hand, while distorting the centuries-old olive harvest traditions which bring all family members together to pick the olives. Moreover, besides such Israeli restrictions being destructive to the Palestinian rural economy and the livelihoods of Palestinian farmers, settlers are increasingly reported to be stealing the olive harvest from the lands that Palestinian owners have been denied access to.
The testimony of a 75-year-old Palestinian woman farmer demonstrates the alarming escalations: “I am originally from Wadi Fukin, but I live in Husan village. Every November, my husband, my children, and my grandchildren go down to our land in Wadi Fukin to harvest the olives. We have around 40 olive trees, and we usually produce about 30 gallons of olive oil, enough for all our family’s needs, including our children and grandchildren. We also share some of it with our neighbors and friends. This year, I tried to reach my land several times, but the soldiers kept preventing me and my family from reaching the land. They said only I was allowed to enter because my ID indicates my place of residence as Wadi Fukin, while my children’s and grandchildren’s IDs say Husan. One day, when there were no soldiers at the Wadi Fukin military gate, I managed to pass through. When I reached my land, I was shocked; all the olives had already been picked. The trees were empty. Later, I found out from neighbors there that settlers from Beitar Illit settlement had stolen all the olives.”
The attacks are occurring during the most crucial agricultural period in the year, reflecting a systemic pattern of intimidation that aims to force the Palestinians to abandon their lands. The olive trees are a vital economic and cultural lifeline for thousands of Palestinian families across the West Bank. As Israeli settlements expand and settlers’ attacks escalate during the olive harvest season, the Palestinian farmers face a systemic destruction of trees and restricted access to land, which directly undermines their ability to produce food and sustain their livelihoods. Since October 2023, around 150 communities have been isolated and prevented from working their land. This resulted in significant income losses, especially in olive groves. In 2023, more than 96,000 dunums of the live trees across all regions of the West Bank were unharvested, as 40% of the Palestinian farmers were unable to access their lands during the olive season, which led to losses amounting to approximately $25 million.
Attacks by Israeli occupation forces and settlers during the olive harvest season strike at the core of Palestinian food sovereignty, a fundamental component of the right to self-determination. Olive cultivation is not only a primary source of livelihood for thousands of Palestinian families but also a symbol of cultural identity and a deep-rooted connection to the land. By destroying trees, restricting access to farmlands, and intimidating farmers, these attacks undermine Palestinians’ ability to produce their own food, sustain their economy, and preserve their agricultural traditions. The deliberate targeting of this sector erodes community resilience, increases dependency on external aid, and forms part of a broader strategy of dispossession aimed at weakening Palestinians’ control over their natural resources and their capacity to live freely and independently on their land.
Under international law, Israel’s land confiscation policies and settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the West Bank, are considered illegal. Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits an occupying power from transferring parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies, as well as the confiscation or appropriation of private property not justified by military necessity. Israel’s systematic seizure of Palestinian land, through declarations of “state land,” military zones, or natural reserves, is illegal and has been widely condemned by the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, and the international community as a violation of international humanitarian law and the right to self-determination. These policies deliberately fragment Palestinian communities, undermine livelihoods, and constitute de facto annexation of occupied territory, absolutely prohibited under international law.
Settler violence against Palestinian farmers, particularly during the olive harvest season, doubles this illegal practice by denying Palestinians access to their land and means of livelihood. Such violence, often involving physical attacks, stealing the harvest, arson of olive trees, and harassment, is frequently carried out with the protection of Israeli forces, without any accountability, violating Israel’s obligations as an occupying power to ensure the safety and welfare of the protected population. The prevention of farmers from reaching their lands during harvest directly breaches their economic, social, and cultural rights as protected under international human rights law, including the right to work and to an adequate standard of living. Together, these actions form part of a broader pattern of dispossession and coercive environment aimed at forcing Palestinian displacement, contrary to the rules of international humanitarian and human rights law.
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