Violence Erupts During Olive Harvest in Benjamin Region

Violent confrontations broke out Friday morning near the villages of Abu Falah and al-Muwaiyar in the Benjamin region during the olive harvest. According to the Benjamin Regional Council, hundreds of Palestinian Authority activists were brought to the scene, where fireworks were fired directly at Israelis and stones were thrown. Israeli security forces arrived and dispersed the participants.

The incident began when dozens of Palestinians, accompanied by Israeli far-left activists and foreign nationals, emerged from al-Muwaiyar toward the agricultural lands of Jewish farms in the area, under the guise of olive harvesting activities. The rioters set fire to an agricultural field belonging to Jewish residents, who rushed to the scene to extinguish the blaze. Subsequently, the residents were attacked with stones and rocks.

Video footage from the scene shows rioters firing fireworks and throwing stones. The Benjamin Regional Council claims the fireworks were fired directly at Israelis, while journalists present documented the events. The council accuses the Palestinian Authority of direct involvement, stating that PA vehicles operated in the area during the clashes. The council asserts that hundreds of Palestinians and activists participated in the events, which were intended to create a confrontation with Jewish residents under the cover of the harvest.

In response to the attacks, large forces from the IDF and the Border Police were dispatched. Border Police officers worked to disperse the participants and restore order. The Benjamin Regional Council had warned earlier in the day about the planned arrival of far-left activists in various locations in the area, aiming to instigate confrontations with Jews and document them as part of a campaign against settlements titled 'Settler Violence.' The council views the incident as part of a deliberate attempt to exploit the olive harvest season to generate violent friction with residents of Jewish farms in the region.