By Diana Khwaelid
The suffering of Palestinians, especially farmers trying to reach their threatened lands, those located near illegal outposts and close to the wall, has not stopped.
Armed settlers are killing and assaulting Palestinians, and are seizing Palestinian land under the protection of the Israeli army.
Tulkarm / Ramin Town
On October 17th, the Israeli occupation forces obstructed farmers — and international activists who were there in solidarity as part of the Zaytoun 2025 campaign — from harvesting their olives.
An armed settler made contact. He asked for support from the Israeli forces, who later came and detained a bus carrying international solidarity activists. Palestinian journalists were on duty to document the event.
The Israeli forces were not satisfied with only detaining the olive harvesters. A soldier did passport and identity checks and then, after about half an hour, she asked people to leave.
Three Palestinians remained in detention, including two Palestinian journalists. They were later released after the Journalist, Hamza Hamdan, was severely beaten. They left him in the middle of the road near the town of Sebastia, near the city of Nablus.
Ramallah / Koper town
Last Saturday, on October 18th, the Israeli occupation forces fired live bullets at farmers to prevent them from reaching their land to harvest olives. They threatened them and warned them not to return, depriving the farmers of the olive season.
Ramallah-Silwad town
On the same day, October 18th, armed settlers attacked Palestinian farmers who were trying to reach their land to pick olives. Their land is currently threatened by a nearby settlement.
They also attacked international solidarity activists who were present in the region to support and protect farmers. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 5 people were injured, including a woman, after settlers beat them.
The Palestinians, especially the Palestinian farmers, are experiencing a difficult daily struggle to reach their threatened lands, harvest their olives, and make a livelihood.
According to the UN Office Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, half of the settler attacks this week were related to the olive harvesting season.
Israeli settlers and soldiers harmed Palestinians in 27 villages across the West Bank. They killed two Palestinians between 7 and 13 October, one of them killed by settlers during an attack.
In total, settlers launched 71 attacks on Palestinians across the West Bank in one week. They also injured 99 people, damaged property, and displaced a family.
