Defiant Palestinian Farmers in Hebron Fight Daily Settler Sabotage to Protect Crops and Livestock

Palestinian farmer Theeba al-Sabaa spends much of her day guarding her home and farmland in the occupied West Bank from settlers, striving to protect the remaining grapevines that once provided a steady income for her family. Operating from dusk till dawn in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron—known locally as “Jabal Sabaa”—Theeba faces a relentless daily battle against encroaching settler outposts that have emerged among the surrounding rolling hills, blocking access to parts of her land.

“By God, the land has taught me patience, and to cling to my right, for as long as I have a right, I must take it and never let it go,” she expressed to Al Jazeera. Emphasizing her deep connection to the soil, she added, “I will never leave it because I worked hard on it, I toil and sweat on it, so I will not leave my toil and sweat, or the toil of my children and my husband, to go to someone else.”

Since mid-2024, when settlers established new outposts on nearby hills, every movement made by Theeba has been closely monitored. Settlers frequently approach the perimeter of her home and deliberately release livestock into the cultivated fields. Describing the destruction, Theeba noted, “They enter with their sheep into our land after we plow and fix it, grazing in it, trampling the crops, and stomping on them with their sheep, leaving nothing. As soon as they feel any movement or anyone entering the land, you find them attacking us immediately.”

This intimidation extends to adjacent fields where 59-year-old Anwar Sabarneh lives alongside his extended family of seven brothers. Due to repeated violations, two of his brothers have been forced to abandon their land entirely. Sabarneh, who supports a family of 14, owns several dunams of vineyards situated just 300 metres (980 feet) from his home, though reaching them has transformed into a dangerous ordeal amid aggressive settlers.

Sabarneh recounted that the Israeli army demands permits from Palestinians simply to work on their own land. “The army came with the settlers to ask me for a permit so I can work in my home, in front of my house’s door, and on my land where I am the rightful owner,” Sabarneh stated. Furthermore, farmers are barred from constructing anything on their properties. Compounding these hardships, Sabarneh’s sheep have been locked in a barn for over eight months because of dangers posed by settlers. “If they see me taking the sheep out, the settlers chase me, kidnap them, and steal them,” he explained, adding that when his children attempted to retrieve the stolen animals, Israeli soldiers arrested and beat them.

These repeated pogroms by settlers against Palestinian farmers highlight a broader strategy targeting agriculture across the southern West Bank. According to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, settlers and Israeli troops carried out 11,074 attacks in the West Bank during the first half of 2026, a figure that includes 3,488 attacks executed directly by settlers.

Hasan Breijieh, a settlement affairs expert and director at the commission, informed Al Jazeera that continuous settlement expansionism alongside severe restrictions on Palestinian movement are the primary reasons driving so many Palestinians to abandon their farms. “Military gates erected at the entrances of Palestinian communities have tightened control over… access to their orchards and vineyards,” Breijieh explained, noting that Israeli-built bypass roads have simultaneously hindered connectivity between Palestinian communities.

Under such heavy restrictions, Palestinian farmers have faced a fourth consecutive season unable to harvest olives, grapes, or guava. Their lands have remained neither plowed nor pruned, leading to forced abandonment. Despite this intense oppression, Palestinian women like Theeba al-Sabaa continue to play a crucial role in safeguarding their land, particularly when men have been killed or detained by Israeli forces. Breijieh concluded, “They continue to maintain their leadership role in preserving the family’s agricultural legacy today. This land was historically the primary source of livelihood for families, and a Palestinian cannot leave it voluntarily, no matter the sacrifices.”