Israeli Settlers Launch West Bank Attacks on Olive Farmers While Soldiers Target Reporters

Israeli settlers, operating under the protection of the Israeli army, launched coordinated attacks against olive pickers, set fire to olive trees, and detained dozens of individuals across the occupied West Bank.

According to field reports, the attacks took place on Saturday in olive groves located in the village of Abu Dis, the town of Awarta, and the az-Zahra area within the town of Beita.

An anonymous activist from California volunteering with Palestinian harvesting communities told Al Jazeera that a group of approximately 50 masked settlers approached in the morning, throwing stones and assaulting a house. Shortly after, soldiers arrived, rounded up the Palestinians and activists, forced the volunteers to leave at gunpoint, and made them sit on the ground.

Journalists Assaulted

In the Jabal Qamass area in Beita, south of Nablus, Israeli forces detained and assaulted journalists. Al Jazeera footage documented settlers smashing a Palestinian vehicle in Osarin, while other videos captured armed settlers attacking a Palestinian home in Beita.

The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that in the village of Osarin in Nablus, forces fired tear gas at Palestinians and journalists, attacked homes, stoned vehicles, and assaulted several villagers. Residents attempted to repel the assaults, which form part of an escalating wave of violence across the West Bank that has intensified since February.

Since the beginning of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023, 1,212 Palestinians, including 254 children, have been killed in the West Bank, primarily by soldiers, with more than a quarter of the killings executed by settlers. Palestinian authorities noted that 30 Palestinians have been killed by settlers since the start of 2026, marking the highest annual toll since 2022.