The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that 71 settler attacks were recorded in the West Bank between October 7 and 13, with approximately half of the incidents linked directly to the olive harvest season.

According to OCHA, 27 villages were targeted during the attacks, which included physical assaults on Palestinians, property damage, and the theft of crops and farming equipment. Deliberate destruction of olive trees was also documented.

The annual olive harvest period in the West Bank frequently exposes Palestinian farmers to violence from Jewish extremist groups and the Israeli occupation forces, preventing them from accessing their lands, causing significant financial losses, and complicating daily life.

OCHA data indicates that since October 7, 2023, settlers and occupation forces have carried out a total of 7,154 attacks in the West Bank, resulting in 33 Palestinian fatalities. During the same period, 48,728 trees were damaged or destroyed, of which 37,237 were olive trees, according to statistics compiled by local monitoring organizations.

Arab media outlets have extensively covered these developments. Palestinian news agency WAFA highlighted OCHA’s findings and warned of the increasing threat posed by settler violence during the harvest season.

The UN agency called on all parties to respect Palestinian agricultural lands and urged international attention to protect civilians and ensure their access to vital resources during the harvest period. (ILKHA)