Authorities move to deport 11 foreign activists who allegedly took part in uncoordinated West Bank olive harvest

Israel Police say officers detained 11 foreign activists and one Palestinian earlier today after their group tried to harvest olive trees in an area of the southern West Bank without coordinating in advance with authorities as required.

Police say in a statement that the area that the Palestinians and foreign activists tried to reach was a closed military zone.

Another mass detention of activists in the West Bank, this time in Masafer Yatta.

No mass detentions of Israeli settler terrorists. Instead, activists who came to help Palestinians harvest their olives are the ones being detained. pic.twitter.com/UznWNrdQaB

— Ihab Hassan (@IhabHassane) October 22, 2026

One clip of footage from the area shows Israeli forces detaining the group, and another shows settlers attacking them and trying to destroy the olives that they picked.

Israeli and foreign activists have been showing up in the West Bank in growing numbers in order to try to protect Palestinians, who have been facing regular attacks from settlers while harvesting their olives.

Israeli settler terrorists attack Palestinian olive harvesters and throw their freshly picked olives to the ground in Shaab Al-Butum, Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron. pic.twitter.com/kr9efkWRaF

— Government Communication Center (@pal_gcc_en) October 22, 2026

Yesterday, police and the IDF claimed that a similar incident had taken place near the Beitar Illit settlement — and involved Congressional candidate Brad Lander — but official Defense Ministry maps later proved that the area in question did not, in fact, require prior coordination in order to enter.

Police say that during the latest incident, the activists refused to identify themselves or leave the area, leading to their detention.

Officers subsequently examined the social media accounts of the activists and discovered that two of them had published posts expressing praise for “terrorists,” police claim, without elaborating.

All 11 foreign activists were transferred to the Population Immigration and Border Authority for a hearing on their deportation from Israel, police say.

Back in the field harvesting olives this morning at the invitation of Palestinian families (near Beit Jala today) with @rabbijilljacobs @truahrabbis and many other new released-from-detention friends.

Our harvest today was peaceful & successful. Sadly, another harvest in Masafer… pic.twitter.com/1s6QAsbM5r

— Brad Lander (@bradlander) October 22, 2026