Settler Violence Escalates During Olive Harvest in West Bank

Two Palestinians were injured on Sunday evening in an attack by settlers in the northern West Bank. In a separate incident, settlers and Israeli forces detained Palestinian women during the olive harvest near Salfit. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its teams transported two Palestinians to the hospital after they were beaten by settlers during an assault on the town of Far'ata, east of Qalqilya.

The human rights organization Al-Bader stated that settlers and occupation forces detained women while they were harvesting olives west of Salfit. Al-Bader highlighted that these incidents occur amid challenges and restrictions faced by Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest season, which often prevent them from accessing their land and crops. The organization called for ensuring farmers' access to their land, safe olive harvesting, and protection.

Earlier on Sunday, five Palestinian women, including an elderly woman, suffered from tear gas inhalation in the village of Yatma, south of Nablus. This occurred after Israeli forces entered lands where Palestinians were harvesting olives, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The Palestinian government's Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported 18 settler attacks in various West Bank areas on Saturday. Settler attacks against Palestinians and their land have intensified during the olive harvest season, which began in early October and is a primary source of income for thousands of Palestinian families. According to the commission, over 45,000 trees in the West Bank were cut down or damaged in the first half of 2026, including more than 26,000 olive trees.