IDF says 22,500 tons of olives harvested in West Bank this season, amid settler attacks

The Israeli military says over 220,000 dunams of olive groves have been harvested by Palestinians in the West Bank so far during this harvesting season, amid attacks by Israeli settlers on the harvest.

There have been around 100 coordinated sites where harvesting has been carried out under the protection of troops, according to the army.

The IDF says that the estimated volume of produce harvested so far is approximately 22,500 tons of olives, from which approximately 5,500 liters of olive oil have been produced.

The announcement comes days after the IDF briefly detained dozens of Jewish American and Israeli activists, including rabbis and a Jewish US congressional candidate, who were accompanying Palestinians harvesting olives in the central West Bank. It also comes after the Yesh Din NGO reported that more than 670 incidents of settler violence have taken place since the start of the harvest.

The military says that “flashpoints” account only for “a few percent of the olive-harvesting areas,” and that the vast majority of coordinated harvests under army protection have proceeded without incident.

The military significantly bolstered troops in the West Bank ahead of and during the olive harvest season. “Forces are deployed throughout the sector to provide optimal protection, thwart terrorism and prevent clashes,” the army says.

The IDF says it treats the violence and “attempts to undermine security on the ground by any side very seriously.”

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.