UN says nearly 200 settler attacks hit West Bank olive harvest in two weeks

Settler attacks hit West Bank olive harvest

Around 80 masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in the occupied West Bank and set fire to olive trees at the start of the annual harvest, witnesses said. The attack took place near Abu Fala, north of Ramallah. Some settlers carried gas canisters and used slings to throw rocks at villagers picking olives. At least two people were injured, including a Washington Post photographer. Gunfire could be heard, and at least one armed settler was seen firing a gun.

The United Nations says there have been nearly 200 settler attacks linked to this year's harvest, more than in the whole of last year's season. In the last two weeks, attacks by settlers on Palestinians in the territory reached nearly 200. At least one person has died and more than 120 have been injured. Around a dozen people were reported injured in Abu Fala on the day of the attack and were taken to hospital one by one.

At the scene, settlers moved slowly down a road towards the olive grove and began setting fire to trees on both sides. Palestinians moved up towards them. It was a standoff that could explode at any minute. Stones were thrown towards journalists. Settlers used slingshots. Palestinians gathered for safety in numbers and some used fireworks to push the settlers back. The settlers charged. An American journalist with the Washington Post was caught and attacked. She later said she was on the ground and kicked for about ten minutes while trying to hold onto her cameras and bag. Israeli forces fired tear gas into the Palestinian fields to end the confrontation.

The Washington Post photographer, Heidi Levine, was recovering in hospital in Ramallah. She said she came in the morning to protect Palestinians so they could harvest their olives. She saw Molotov cocktails and no army. She said at least 25, maybe 50 settlers jumped her. She was kicked repeatedly, and her camera bag, passport, phone and cameras were broken or taken. Her helmet and flak jacket protected her head. Palestinians rescued her and an ambulance took her to a medical centre.

Local farmers said the olive harvest is now a test of speed. In a nearby orchard, they rapidly stripped the trees. They kept one eye on settlers watching from an illegal outpost, one of seven settlements nearby, all illegal under international law. One farmer said settlers do not come when there are many people; they attack when people work alone at the edge of the village. So everyone came together this year. The tactic did not work on this day. A Palestinian American man named Majdi, injured with his mother, said they were attacked with guns, rocks and special weapons. He was bleeding from his head and neck. Another man, defiant as he retreated, said: "This is my land, I can't leave my land."

Israel's prime minister said the facts remained unclear and were under investigation. The Israeli government says it treats violence with severity. But there are growing questions about how often the army is prepared to step in to protect Palestinians. The pattern is familiar. Tear gas is fired into Palestinian fields to end a conflict with violent settlers who remain largely unconstrained by Israeli forces and emboldened by Israeli politicians. Illegal settler outposts are increasing, and the harvest season is getting more violent each year.

The olive harvest is the largest agricultural sector in Palestine and a major source of revenue. The director of the Palestinian Farmers Union said around 140,000 families live entirely or partially on olive oil production, which can support up to 800,000 people. He said the harvest is the last source of income for hundreds of thousands of families facing a difficult economic situation. According to OCHA and the UN West Bank protection cluster, 178 villages have been identified this year as hot areas exposed to increased settler violence. He said an olive tree is not just a tree but part of Palestinian heritage, culture, life and connection to the land.

A Palestinian human rights official said the attacks are not isolated. He described a recurring pattern of systematic and widespread attacks against Palestinians that takes place almost daily. He said that since the beginning of 2026, at least 1,600 attacks took place in the West Bank in the first eight months of the year, resulting in over 1,000 injuries and 18 Palestinians killed, whether directly by settlers or by soldiers during settler attacks. He rejected arguments that security concerns justify the violence. He said all civilians are entitled to protection, that settlement itself is against international law, and that settlers' presence in the West Bank represents a war crime under the Rome Statute. He called for Palestinians to be protected, for access to their land and livelihood, and for meaningful accountability. He also pointed to Israeli human rights group Yesh Din, which found that 94% of police investigations into settler attacks were closed without indictment and only 4% ended with partial or full conviction. He cited a 2021 B'Tselem report titled "Settlers' Violence is a State Violence" to argue that settler violence is not separate from the state structure that upholds it.