Palestinian olive growers call for international protection amid surge in settler attacks
As the West Bank olive harvest approaches, farmers report a sharp rise in settler violence and demand an international protection force.
Approaching the annual olive harvest, Palestinian farmers in the West Bank report a dramatic escalation of settler aggression, with OCHA documenting an average of more than six attacks daily in August and 264 incidents in October 2025, the highest since data collection began in 2006. In villages like Qira, settlers armed with rifles and chainsaws are destroying trees, stealing olives, and confronting farmers with live fire, while Israeli soldiers often stand by or intervene against the Palestinians.
Legal restrictions declared by the Israeli military have rendered 128,000 dunams of farmland inaccessible since October 2023, creating a pretext for declaring uncultivated land as state property. Although Western governments have imposed limited bans on settlement products and targeted a few individuals with sanctions, the author argues these steps fail to address the state-backed nature of the violence. He calls for an independent international protection force, comprehensive arms embargoes, and an accelerated ICC probe into settlement-related war crimes to safeguard the harvest and the livelihoods of roughly 100,000 families dependent on olives.
Why it matters
The olive harvest sustains thousands of Palestinian families, and unchecked settler violence threatens their livelihood and land rights.
How this story developed
- Sep 1 EU debates ban on settlement products as Israeli forces raze West Bank homes
- Sep 17 A year after the October ceasefire, Israeli evacuation orders and ongoing attacks have kept Palestinians in Gaza displaced, with thousands killed, wounded and facing severe food insecurity.
- Sep 18 The UN rights office issued a warning that the displacement of over 33,000 refugees from West Bank camps may amount to crimes against humanity.
- Sep 23 A man in his forties was seriously wounded when a vehicle rammed a police car at a checkpoint near Modi'in on the road to the West Bank.
- Sep 23 Israel's Central Elections Committee barred the Joint List from the upcoming Knesset election, prompting the alliance to label the move racist and vow a Supreme Court appeal.
- Sep 23 The checkpoint’s security personnel have been reinforced and an investigation launched.
- Sep 24 The electoral commission has acted on two Arab party lists.
- Sep 27 Netanyahu publicly urged right‑wing parties to merge ahead of the election.
- Sep 28 A six‑storey apartment block collapsed, killing 21 people and prompting a lengthy rescue effort.
- Sep 28 Ed Miliband told the Labour conference that the UK will act on Palestine, backing sanctions on Israeli settlements and supporting a two-state solution.
- Sep 29 Three teenagers were arrested in connection with the raid.
- Oct 2 The Central Elections Committee voted 18-5 to bar the United Arab List and the Joint List from the ballot.
- Oct 2 Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh withdrew his candidacy following the court's indication it may approve a disqualification petition.
- Oct 3 Miliband pledged comprehensive sanctions and a ban on imports and services that support Israeli settlements.
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