Settlers Attack Palestinians, Steal Olives During Harvest Season

Settlers launched a series of attacks across the occupied West Bank starting Sunday, targeting villages and towns, stealing olives, vandalizing trees, and assaulting Palestinians during the olive harvest season. In Ramallah Governorate, settlers attacked the village of Ein Yabrud and uprooted electricity poles in Deir Dibwan, causing a power outage in the Al-Marj area. Settlers also stole olives from the eastern plains of Al-Mughayyir village, north-east of Ramallah, and damaged trees, targeting farmers' livelihoods. In Bethlehem Governorate, Ziad Younes was injured after being beaten by settlers during an attack on the town of Al-Khader. In the northern Jordan Valley, settlers conducted provocative tours near homes in the Al-Hamma community, while settlement expansion and fencing continued around the spring, raising residents' fears of displacement and denial of access to water sources and surrounding lands. Israeli forces also raided the city of Tubas and searched homes, according to local sources. These attacks are part of a rise in assaults on Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest, including crop theft, tree vandalism, and obstruction of access to fields, with accusations that Israeli forces provide protection to the settlers. Al-Mughayyir village has been repeatedly targeted; settlers stole olives from its lands on October 1st, protected by Israeli forces, leading to confrontations when residents tried to resist. On the 9th of October, the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported 19 attacks on olive pickers, farmers, and their property, including theft and arson. The commission also documented 628 settler attacks in August, with 157 concentrated in Ramallah and Al-Bireh Governorate. These escalating attacks exacerbate the suffering of farmers and threaten the olive season, a vital income source for thousands of Palestinian families and a cornerstone of Palestinian heritage.