Settlers accused of placing spikes at Palestinian olive grove to disrupt harvest

22 October 2020, 2:08 pm

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Settlers placed spikes in an olive grove in the West Bank Palestinian town of Qaryut in an attempt to damage equipment before stealing most of the olives at the height of the harvest, the Yesh Din rights group claims.

“One of the farmers who was driving the tractor felt his tire explode. When he went down to check, he found many spikes scattered in the area. The farmers… discovered that unknown individuals had already stolen most of the olives from the trees,” Yesh Din says.

According to Yesh Din, 26 alleged settler attacks on Palestinians and their property have taken place since the beginning of the current harvest season. So far more than 400 trees have been cut down, and about 50 set on fire, the rights group reports.

— Aaron Boxerman