Olive Oil Production Declines This Season Amid Israeli Army and Settler Attacks

Settlement Weekly Report 24 – 30 Oct, 202617
By: Madeeha Al-A’raj


The ‘National Bureau for Defending Land and Resisting Settlements stated in its latest weekly report , that the olive harvest season in the West Bank has become more than a period of settler attacks on farmers and their crops, it is increasingly part of a broader struggle over land, in which military and settlement policies interacted with religious and security-related rhetoric, used to restrict Palestinian access to their own territory. Within this context, the National Bureau has documented more than 500 attacks by settlers and occupation soldiers across about 200 Palestinian communities from the beginning of the season through the end of Oct. The attacks were concentrated primarily in the governorates of Jenin, Nablus, Salfeet, and Ramallah, while in scores of locations, harvesting was completely prevented, while crops were stolen in more than 150 incidents.
Nablus recorded the highest number of -dir-ect settler attacks, olive tree vandalism, and crop thefts this season. This systematic targeting has deprived farmers in scores of villages of their entire harvest, effectively removing vast areas of Palestinian land from agricultural production. Within this broader context, religious rhetoric is increasingly being invoked to justify the stealing of Palestinian crops. This was exemplified by a Fatwa i.e. ‘religious ruling’ issued by Rabbi Dov Lior on the 16th of this month, in which he deemed it permissible for settlers to harvest Palestinian olives, citing religious interpretations to support his position.
This rabbi, the spiritual father to Minister of National Security Ben-Gvir and the former rabbi of the Kiryat Arba settlement, where Ben-Gvir resides, is one of the most prominent religious authorities within the Israeli settler movement. He issued a ‘fatwa’ permitting settlers to harvest olives from Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank, framing this act as part of the ‘commandment to occupy the land.’
According to the Yedoot Ahronot newspaper’s website, Lior, who is affiliated with the Otzma Yehudit Party, led by Ben-Gvir, justified his ruling by claiming that Palestinians never purchased the land from Jews-;- therefore, according to his religious interpretation, ownership remains with the Jewish people. Lior further argued that Palestinian farmers had already received sufficient compensation for cultivating the trees through the harvests they gathered over the years. The rabbi went so far as to characterize the act of settlers harvesting olives from Palestinian land as a religiously good practice.
The previous rabbis have provided religious justification for the seizure of Palestinian property and agricultural produce, including olive harvests. Over the past few years, prominent rabbis within the settlement movement have issued ‘fatwas’ and authored religious texts that sanction the theft and destruction of Palestinian farmers property. For instance, in their well-known book ‘The King’s Torah’, Rabbis Yitzhak Shapira and Yosef Elitzur legitimized the targeting of the lives and assets of non-Jews ‘goyim’ during times of conflict, arguing that their property and crops may be seized if doing so serves the security of settlers´-or-helps establish control.
Likewise, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, a former Chief Rabbi of Israel, issued notorious rulings during past harvest seasons, implying that it is permissible to harvest olives from lands deemed part of the ‘Land of Israel,’ under the pretext that the Palestinian farmers are cultivating land that doesn’t belong to them.
Adding to these restrictions, the occupation army’s decision to bar farmers from entering what it designates as ‘state land’ to harvest olives, a measure introduced for the first time, while requiring prior coordination for access to their private lands, has further compounded the hardships facing Palestinian farmers. Meanwhile, a prevailing discourse among settlers portrays the harvesting of Palestinian olives as a form of incitement.
This narrative is conveyed to officials within the occupation army and government and is used to justify restrictions on farmers and foreign solidarity activists alike. Some Israeli media outlets have described this shift as a revolution in the approach to those opposing settler violence, with solidarity activists supporting farmers being labeled ‘anarchists,’ even as attacks on olive pickers continue.
According to the available information, the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture anticipates a decline in olive oil production of 50% this season, bringing the total down to between 10,000 and 11,000 tons, a sharp from initial projections of around 21,000 tons. -dir-ect attacks and the obstruction of farmers’ access to their fields, particularly those located behind the Apartheid Wall´-or-near Israeli settlements, threaten the loss of the olive harvest across nearly half of the cultivated land in several governorates.
The losses extend beyond the failure to harvest the olives, reports indicate that settlers have stolen large quantities of the fruit, processing them in mills located within settlements to market the resulting olive oil for their own profit. Moreover, statistics from the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture reveal that the cumulative -dir-ect losses to the olive sector, stemming from the destruction of trees and the denial of access to land since 2023 have exceeded US -$-157,000,000.
Regarding settlement activities, the occupation forces brought caravans to the Sanur Camp along the road linking the towns of Jaba and Sanur, south of Jenin, amid continued bulldozing at the site. This development heightens fears that the site will be used for settlement projects.
The move constitutes a dangerous escalation on the ground and in security terms, aimed at imposing military control over the region, annexing additional Palestinian land, and fragmenting the geography of Jenin Governorate into isolated enclaves by separating Palestinian villages and communities from one another and severing their geographical links with surrounding areas. These developments follow the Israeli Cabinet’s approval, on July 15, of a proposal to establish a new settlement adjacent to the evacuated Sanur settlement, referred to in current plans as Sanur Al-Sharqiya.’
Last Tuesday, settlers established two settlement outposts: one in Al-Jiftlik, north of Jericho, and the other at the northern entrance to Al-Bireh. In Ramallah and Al-Bireh, settlers erected 2 caravans in a strategic location on a hill opposite the Al-Balou’ Neighborhood, at the city’s northern entrance along the road leading to Beitin. The move aims to impose a new reality on the ground and sever Palestinian geographical continuity in the area.
This isn’t the only outpost in the region north and east of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, which has become a target for the establishment of unauthorized settlement outposts. The primary objective of this new outpost, opposite Al-Balou’ Neighborhood, is to expand the influence of the ‘Beit El settlement,’ block the historic road, and sever the geographical link between Al-Bireh and the eastern and northern villages, including Beitin and Yabrud.
In Al-Jiftlik, settlers established another outpost on Palestinian-owned land after bringing vehicles and construction equipment and erecting metal arches and stakes in preparation for its establishment. The outpost is part of an ongoing plan to intensify settlement pressure on Jericho and the Palestinian Jordan Valley. These developments coincide with the expansion of nearby settlements, including ‘Miswa,’ and the targeting of lands in Al-Auja and Al-Duik Al-Tahta to gain control over water sources and grazing lands and force Palestinian families to leave.
In Hebron, settlers established 2 new outposts, carried out bulldozing operations, and vandalized water pipelines supplying a Bedouin community last week, amid widespread settlement attacks. In the Yatta town, south of Hebron, settlers began establishing an outpost in the Khallet Al-Farra area, west of the town. They erected a tent, brought bulldozers and excavation equipment, and began clearing the land in preparation for construction. They also established another outpost in the Yatta desert, on land between the villages of Al-Zwaidin and Um Qissa, where they erected several tents and began installing water and electricity infrastructure.
In the meantime, settlers and occupation forces continued bulldozing Palestinian-owned land in the Khallet Al-Farra and Marah Al-Rabiyah areas, south of Hebron, as part of settlement plans aimed at seizing additional land. The area is undergoing a process of Judaization, supported by the occupation government, which seeks to establish a settlement project that includes a farm known as ‘Laman Akhiy,’ near the towns of Al-Samou’ and Yatta.
The Bedouin community of Um Al-Khair in Masafer Yatta is also facing a series of attacks by residents of the ‘Carmel settlement’ and nearby settlement outposts, which have intensified significantly in recent months. The Israeli organization Peace Now said the community is facing mounting pressure from harassment and violence perpetrated by residents of the settlement and neighboring outposts, including the seizure of privately owned land, closure of access roads, and sabotage of vital infrastructure and facilities.
These actions aim to make life unbearable for residents and force them to leave, amid the occupation authorities’ failure to provide even the minimum level of protection and, in some cases, their -dir-ect contribution to facilitating settlers’ actions. Most of the violence originates from the ‘Carmel’ settlement and its neighboring outposts, including the ‘Barkai’ neighborhood, the ‘Shorashim’ farm, and ‘Mishach Man.’ Settlers from other outposts have also been involved in attacks, including Yinon Levy, a settler from the ‘Mitzrim’ outpost, who shot and killed Odeh Al-Hathalin, a resident of the community, on July 28 last year.
In Jerusalem, settlement plans in the occupied city are no longer confined to the construction of new housing units. Their impact extends to reshaping the city’s geography and isolating Palestinian neighborhoods from one another, threatening the Palestinian presence around the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque. The proposed construction of 122 settlement units in the Karam al-Mufti area of Sheikh Jarrah, north of Jerusalem, is a significant step towards encircling Jerusalemite neighborhoods and isolating northern Jerusalem from the Old City and its southern surroundings.
According to the Israeli organization Ir Amim, this is the first settlement project advanced by the settlement movement in Jerusalem after decades of activity focused on expanding settlements in the West Bank. The first hearing to discuss the project is scheduled for Nov. 11. Ir Amim also identifies the ‘Amana’ movement as one of Israel’s most prominent settlement organizations, financing, planning, and supporting the establishment of pastoral settlement outposts in the West Bank. The movement also receives government funding and operates in close coordination with the Occupation Authorities.
On the other hand, former Israeli security officials, including high-ranking figures, called on Netanyahu to declare the ‘Hilltop Youth’ a terrorist organization, and to stop government funding for them, in a letter they addressed to him last Sunday, in the name of the ‘Leaders for Israel’s Security’ movement. The message confirmed that they seek to spread fear among Palestinians in the West Bank, and push them to leave their lands and sources of livelihood, leading to their displacement. It is the Israeli name for the settler militias spread in the mountains of the West Bank, which from Oct. 7, 2023 until the beginning of this month, carried out about 13,000 attacks, resulting in the martyrdom of 66 Palestinians.
The former officials noted in their letter that recent years, particularly since late 2023, have witnessed a sustained escalation in violence and attacks perpetrated by the Hilltop Youths. They warned that these practices ‘threaten public order and the security of the civilian population,’ including Israelis and foreign nationals who come to the area to assist and protect Palestinians. The signatories included former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo, former Army Minister Moshe Ya’alon, former Shin Bet chief Ami Ayalon, former Police Commissioner Moshe Karadi, former Deputy Chief of Staff Matan Vilnai, and retired Major General Gadi Shimni, who previously served as Commander of the Central Command, along with other former senior officials.
List of Israeli Assaults over the Last Week Documented by the National Bureau:
Jerusalem:
- Sabotaging water pipelines supplying the Bedouin community of Al-Tabna, near Khan al-Ahmar.
- Assaulting Palestinians harvesting olives in the village of Beit Iksa, northwest of occupied Jerusalem.
- Forcing Jerusalemite Fawaz Rajabi to demolish his own house after issuing a written demolition order, despite having already fined him NIS 60,000 In Beit Hanina. Similarly, Jerusalemite Hanan Rajabi was also forced to demolish her home in Beit Hanina, north of occupied Jerusalem, under the pretext of building without a permit.
Hebron:
- Reporting a series of settler attacks across Hebron Governorate, settlers from the ‘Susiya settlement’ infiltrated the house of Jawdat Ahmad Masri in the Al-Rahniya area, south of Yatta, and stole 12 sheep.
- Assaulting workers on prickly pear farms, leaving several injured, while occupation forces prevented an ambulance from reaching them in Khirbet Suba. Moreover, in Khirbet al-Kharaba, east of Al-Samu‘, two residents, including a woman, were injured in an attack by settler militias. The settlers assaulted 58 year old Hakima Khalayla, inflicting contusions and bruising to her chest and then transferred to hospital.
- Attacking farmers and stole their olive harvest in the Hamroush area, east of Sa‘ir.
- Attacking Palestinians harvesting olives and attempted to assault several farmers and a homeowner In the Al-Mazabi‘ area of Beit Kahil. They also raised Israeli flags on land in the Wadi al-Qaf area, locally known as Sha‘b Mazu, within the town s boundaries.
- Preventing farmers from harvesting olives and forced them to leave the villages of At-Tuwani and Ar-Rakiz area, despite having coordination.
- Raiding land belonging to Samih Da’na, demolishing a 100m2, uprooting more than 200 fruit-bearing trees, and destroying 3 water wells and other agricultural structures, including retaining walls and fencing 8 dunams.
Bethlehem:
- Setting up a Caravan and a tent on the lands of the Za’atara town in the Abu Nador area, and a tent in the Dababa area east of the Al-Minya village, while others grazed their sheep on citizens’ lands in the Manaqi Al-Jaradat area south of the village that led to the destruction of a number of trees.
- Attacking citizens houses in Za’atara and stole sheep then citizens managed to get them back.
Ramallah:
- Bulldozing large areas of land in the Al-Maghayer area, northeast of Deir Qadis, the occupation forces uprooted scores of olive trees in preparation for constructing a settlement road. The bulldozing operations are continuing in the area ahead of plans to establish a new settlement on land between Deir Qadis and the neighboring village of Kharbatha Bani Harith. The agricultural roads leading to the area were also blocked with rocks, preventing farmers from accessing their lands. The targeted land constitutes a major part of the villagers’ olive-producing area, threatening the livelihoods of numerous farmers.
- Storming the village of Um Safa with their vehicles, settlers gathered in large numbers in its eastern area around the home of resident Muhammad Abayat. They obstructed the movement of his family members and attempted to assault them as they entered´-or-left the house. Meanwhile, settlers at the outpost established on Jabal al-Ras lands in the village brought in additional mobile homes in a move aimed at expanding the outpost.
- Resuming land-leveling operations east of the village of Al-Mughair, the occupation authorities targeted the Al-Rafid plain area. Nearby, occupation forces forced farmers harvesting olives in the Wadi Ammar area to leave their lands and confiscated their harvest.
- Burning and cutting down scores of productive olive trees in the Al-Qibla area, south of Barqa, settlers also attacked olive pickers in the town of Sinjil, breaking the branches of several fruit-bearing trees. In the village of Kafr Malek, a settler released livestock onto agricultural land.
- Suffering from tear-gas inhalation during a settler attack carried out under the protection of Israeli occupation forces against several Palestinians and foreign solidarity activists while they were harvesting olives on mountainous lands.
- Attacking olive pickers in the village of Ain Yabroud, settlers attempted to force them off their agricultural lands. They also conducted provocative patrols in the surrounding area and photographed residents using their mobile phones.
Nablus:
- Detaining several olive pickers, assaulting them, and seizing an agricultural tractor and their olive harvest, they targeted farmers working on their lands east of the village of Al-Sawiya and transported the seized property to the ‘Rahalim settlement.’
- Attacking olive pickers in the Wadi Yasuf and Wadi al-Shaer areas in the village of Al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, between the village and the city of Salfeet, spraying them with pepper spray and attempting to steal their harvest.
- Injuring 3 Palestinians in the Burin town by a settler attack during which they attempted to set a house on fire by igniting fires around it. The attack took place under the protection of occupation forces, which fired tear gas canisters, causing several residents to suffer from suffocation.
- Detaining a crew from Nablus Municipality while was carrying out road rehabilitation work on the road linking the Askar area to the northern Asira town.
Salfeet:
- Invading the vicinity of residents houses in the village of Yasuf, in the Al-Nasba area, and wandered among the houses.
- Attacking farmers, who were harvesting olives in the Al-Wad Al-Ahmar area in the Marda village, smashed a vehicle, forced the farmers to leave their land, and prevented them from continuing their harvest.
- Assaulting individuals harvesting olives, one settler sprayed pepper spray into the face of a farmer named Azzam Ahmed Dhiab, while another attempted to run over a farmer named Moh’d Amin Makhlouf using an agricultural tractor in the Wadi Abbas area, west of the Deiristia town.
Jenin:
- Forcing residents of Khirbet Suruj, west of Jenin, to evacuate their houses within a week, the occupation forces targeted a community comprising more than seven houses belonging to the Abu al-Hayja, Asifin, and Yahya families, as well as ten livestock-rearing barracks, amid efforts to expand settlements.
- Destroying a memorial commemorating journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the Ajja town.
- Bulldozing land to construct a settlement road linking the ‘Homesh and Tersla settlements,’ blocking the main paved road connecting the towns of Silat Al-Dhahr and Al-Atara, south of Jenin .
- Attacking farmer Khaled Hamdouni between Khirbet Mukhal and the Amriha area, near the Ya bad town.
- Demolishing agricultural and commercial facilities near the Haddad Tourist Village, south of Jenin, targeted agricultural rooms, a car showroom, a recreational park, and greenhouses.
- Constructing a new road between the villages of Tura and Um Dar, west of Jenin, as part of ongoing bulldozing and road construction operations across the governorate. This coincided with the construction of another settlement road in southern Jenin, about 11.5 km long, crossing the lands of Arraba, Marka, Masliya, and Qabatia. The targeted areas include agricultural land and plots containing perennial olive trees.
Jordan Valley:
- Fencing lands in the Al-Hamma community in the northern Jordan Valley around the water spring near the citizens’ homes in the community, which means hindering the movement, and depriving them of benefiting from the spring.
- Establishing a settlement outpost on citizens’ lands in the village of Al-Jiftlik. Mayor of the local council in Al-Jiftlik, Firas Jahalin, explained that settlers brought vehicles and construction equipment, and installed iron arches and beams in Al-Jiftlik, in preparation for establishing a new settlement outpost.
- Attacking citizens’ lands in the northern Yarza community, east of Tubas Governorate, and released their livestock there, causing the destruction of crops.
- Chasing shepherds in the Farsi Ghazal spring in the northern Jordan Valley and forced them to leave the farms surrounding their tents.

Rate the article
Bad	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Very good
Result : 100%							Participated in the vote : 1