IDF Bars Palestinians From Harvesting Olives on State Lands

Ahead of the olive harvest season, which has become a flashpoint for tensions in recent years, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will implement a new policy prohibiting Palestinian harvesters from accessing state-owned lands in the West Bank. This change, reported by "Yisrael Hayom" on September 17, will apply across the entire West Bank, known to Israelis as Judea and Samaria.

The security establishment anticipates that the harvest period, set to begin in mid-October after the Jewish High Holidays, could again be marked by clashes and violence. For years, the IDF and the Civil Administration have coordinated with the Palestinian Authority to manage the harvest, designating specific days for access to groves near Israeli settlements or in areas prone to conflict.

Under the new directive, the IDF will strictly differentiate between private Palestinian land and state land. While harvesting on private plots will continue under security coordination, access to state lands, even those previously harvested by Palestinians, will be forbidden. The IDF will deploy significant forces to enforce this policy, aiming to prevent confrontations between Palestinian harvesters and Israeli residents, a challenge that strained resources in previous years.