Record 272 Settler Attacks as Israeli Forces Wound One Palestinian and Arrest Two During Olive Harvest

Israeli forces and settlers attacked olive pickers across the occupied West Bank during the annual harvest, injuring one Palestinian and leading to two arrests, according to local reports. The incidents occurred in the Nablus, Jenin, and Ramallah areas, where farmers were targeted while gathering their crops. A foreign solidarity activist was also assaulted during the attacks [1].

This year's olive harvest has become the most violent in years, with Israeli settlers attacking farmers and surrounding their homes. The violence has drawn condemnation from U.S. officials and others [2].

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between September 1 and October 19, 2026, 272 Israeli settler attacks were documented, causing one death, 200 injuries, and damage to more than 3,200 olive trees. This exceeds the totals recorded during the full harvest seasons of 2024 and 2025 [3].

Data from the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture shows that olive harvest losses have exceeded $157 million since 2023. About 286,000 olive trees in the West Bank were damaged between 2023 and the end of September 2026. Israeli authorities have also prevented farmers from accessing about 250,000 dunums of land used for olive cultivation, or about 25,000 hectares — nearly 30 percent of the total area used for this crop in the West Bank, estimated at about 750,000 dunums [3].

The olive harvest is more than farming in Palestine. It is a social and cultural tradition that ties families to their land, with several generations gathering around trees their parents and grandparents knew. The harvest is a chance for relatives and neighbors to meet, share knowledge, and keep alive customs rooted in collective memory. The olive tree is not just a source of food and income — it is part of daily life, popular culture, and Palestinian identity [3].

For Issam Jabr, a Palestinian farmer and expert in agriculture and the environment, the bond between Palestinians and the olive tree goes far beyond economic value. The tree, he explains, is essential to life, food, and cultural heritage, and holds a prominent place in Palestinian folklore linked to Palestinians' relationship with their land and their determination to remain on it [3].

The *Awneh* is one of the most significant traditions linked to the olive harvest in Palestinian villages. In this practice, relatives, neighbors, and community members help grove owners pick their crops, reflecting the spirit of cooperation and mutual support in rural Palestinian communities. According to Jabr, the word comes from the Arabic term *awn*, meaning help or assistance. The tradition matters because the harvest season is relatively short, and cooperation helps farmers finish the work on time and transport olives to presses where they are turned into olive oil [3].

These gatherings also pass agricultural knowledge between generations. Younger family members learn how to care for trees, pick fruit, and preserve the harvest, along with the foods, customs, and memories linked to this time of year. In this way, the olive harvest becomes a way to preserve living heritage, not just a seasonal job [3].

These challenges have coincided with attacks reported in different parts of the West Bank in recent days. On October 16, olive pickers from several villages and towns faced incidents including assaults, injuries, stolen harvests, burned trees and vehicles, and blocks on farmers reaching their land [3].

The consequences go beyond immediate economic losses. When farmers cannot reach their land, they lose not only part of their harvest but also the chance to take part in a season that is central to the social and cultural life of rural communities. Families are deprived of gatherings and traditions practiced and passed down for generations [3].

Jabr describes the current season as exceptionally difficult. He explains that many farmers have not been able to pick their olives as they usually would, and their absence from the fields affects production and limits the ability of families who depend on the harvest for food and income [3].

For Jabr, protecting the olive tree is inseparable from safeguarding the heritage that has grown around it. He calls for attention to the trees and for support to protect them, given their importance to Palestinian life and their link to the land. He describes the olive tree as a national symbol that helps Palestinians remain steadfast on their land, stressing that its value goes far beyond the fruit it produces [3].