UN reports 160 settler attacks in first weeks of West Bank olive harvest
UN reports at least 160 Israeli settler attacks in the first two weeks of the olive harvest, as farmers are cut off from land and trees are damaged.
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At least 160 Israeli settler attacks linked to the olive harvest were recorded in the first two weeks of October, OCHA says. UN human rights office warns farmers cannot reach trees; 286,000 trees damaged in the West Bank since 2023.
- At least 160 settler attacks linked to the harvest occurred in the first two weeks of October.
- Thousands of farmers cannot reach their olive groves due to Israeli movement restrictions, OHCHR says.
- OCHA estimates 286,000 olive trees in the West Bank were damaged between 2023 and end-September 2026.
Violence and access at harvest opening
The opening weeks of this year's olive harvest in the occupied West Bank have been marked by live ammunition, arson and the destruction of centuries-old olive trees, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) said. At least 160 Israeli settler attacks linked to the harvest were recorded in the first two weeks of October, according to the UN aid coordination office (OCHA), often under the protection of, or with the participation of, Israeli forces. Settlers also damaged Palestinian property and stole harvested olives and farm equipment, the source states.
OHCHR said thousands of Palestinian farmers are unable to reach their olive trees because of severe Israeli movement restrictions, which have worsened dramatically over the past three years, while settlers are allowed onto Palestinian land to harvest crops. Last Friday, settlers assaulted a Washington Post photojournalist covering the harvest, and the following day attacked European diplomats visiting a Palestinian community, according to the source.
Losses, displacement and UN calls
Ajith Sunghay, head of OHCHR in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said olive trees are symbolic of Palestinian existence and connection to the land, describing the restrictions as another tool of displacement and dispossession. On Thursday, OHCHR urged states and donors to go beyond condemnation and take urgent action to protect Palestinian communities as the season gets off to an 'ominous start'.
The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture estimates losses at $157 million since October 2023 and says 90 per cent of Gaza's two million olive trees have been destroyed in that time. In the West Bank, 286,000 olive trees were damaged between 2023 and the end of September 2026, including 100,000 this year, before the harvest began. The Protection Cluster called for increased diplomatic field presence, safe access to agricultural land, protection from violence and expulsion, strengthened accountability, an end to settler expansion, and donor funding for protective presence, legal assistance, food security and livelihoods.
How many olive trees in the West Bank have been damaged since 2023?
OCHA estimates that 286,000 olive trees in the West Bank were damaged between 2023 and the end of September 2026, including 100,000 this year, before the harvest season began.
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