Soldiers, armed settlers targeted Palestinian olive harvesters in West Bank 80 times this month — rights group

The Yesh Din rights group says it has documented 80 incidents of violence by soldiers and armed settlers targeting Palestinian olive harvesters in the month of October alone.

The incidents took place across 42 Palestinian villages and included shootings, violent assaults and threats, the expulsion of harvesters and prevention of harvesting, theft of crops and agricultural equipment, and tree uprooting.

In 85 percent of the incidents, Israeli security personnel were present but didn’t prevent the attacks, Yesh Din says.

“The increasing number of incidents and the cooperation between the settlers and security forces personnel raise concerns that the prevention of Palestinian olive harvesting in the West Bank is a deliberate policy of Israel,” the rights group adds.

[1] Since the beginning of October, Yesh Din documented over 80 incidents of violence by soldiers & armed settlers against Palestinian olive harvesters. That's an average of 3 incidents per day! These incidents took place on the lands of 42 Palestinian towns and villages. >> pic.twitter.com/lcbcDUnUjD

— Yesh Din English (@Yesh_Din) October 30, 2024