RAMALLAH, (PIC)
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) and settlers attacked olive harvesters in two villages in Ramallah and al-Khalil in the West Bank on Saturday, forcing them to leave their lands.
Local sources reported that the IOF used force to compel farmers in the village of Al-Mughayir, east of Ramallah, to leave their fields, firing tear gas canisters at them.
Since the beginning of the genocide against Gaza in October last year, the occupation authorities have prevented landowners in Al-Mughayir from accessing their lands. Over the past few months, the village has faced multiple attacks by IOF soldiers and settlers, the most severe of which occurred about three months ago when many homes and vehicles were set on fire.
In a related context, settlers attacked a Palestinian family in the Tel Rumeida area of al-Khalil while they were harvesting olives. The Youth Against Settlements group reported that a group of settlers assaulted the Asayed family during their olive picking and stole their mats and fruits. The assault occurred under the protection of IOF soldiers in the area.
Palestinian territories face repeated assaults during the annual olive harvest season from the occupation army and settlers. Farmers continually face obstacles and arbitrary practices that prevent them from accessing their lands, leading to significant material losses and increasing their daily suffering under occupation. Predictions indicate that farmers will be unable to access 80,000 dunums of olive-growing land due to settler terrorism backed by the occupation army, which could result in a loss of about 15% of this year’s crop.
