Escalating Violence: Israeli Settlers Attack Journalists, Diplomats Amidst Olive Harvest; Gaza Faces Deepening Hunger Crisis

Amidst the ongoing olive harvest season, a surge in violence has been reported in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has documented over 200 Israeli attacks on Palestinian farmers since September 1, surpassing the total number of attacks recorded for the entire 2025 harvest season. These incidents have resulted in one Palestinian fatality, over 120 injuries, and damage to more than 2,500 olive trees. On Friday alone, the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported 34 Israeli attacks, injuring at least 19 people, with an additional 40 attacks occurring on Saturday.

These widespread attacks and thefts by Israeli settlers are reportedly emboldened by certain religious figures. Rabbi Dov Lior, spiritual advisor to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power party, issued a ruling permitting settlers to harvest olives from Palestinian orchards, stating it fulfills a commandment to demonstrate ownership of the land. A post in a settler chat group highlighted the ideological significance of olive trees in the campaign for Judea and Samaria, equating them to M16 rifles. Sarit Michaeli, former international advocacy director for the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, described the scale of olive crop theft as unprecedented in her 22 years of experience.

Under this ideological impetus, dozens of attacks on olive harvesters have been reported daily. On October 16, in Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, approximately 80 masked settlers armed with clubs attacked Palestinians engaged in olive picking. During this assault, Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, 63, was reportedly beaten for over 10 minutes, sustaining broken ribs and requiring hand surgery, with her camera, phone, and passport stolen. Israeli activist Jonathan Pollak reported that soldiers subsequently shot a village council member, Abdel Jaber Obeid, in the thigh. The following day, Saturday, masked settlers with clubs targeted a delegation visiting Taybeh, east of Ramallah, which included Belgium’s consul general, French and Polish diplomats, and church representatives. A vehicle belonging to the Belgian consulate had a window smashed, and French mayor Bernard Baudoux, 78, was assaulted.

In response to these events, United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed significant concern, and US Ambassador Mike Huckabee condemned Levine’s attack as a “despicable act of terror.” France has demanded arrests, and the European Union has called for full accountability. Israel’s military acknowledged the Taybeh attack as “severe,” while Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, characterized settler violence as “Jewish terror under the auspices of the government of Israel,” according to The Times of Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a conditional condemnation of Levine’s attack, questioning who initiated the violence, and later equivocated on the Taybeh incident, stating that stronger evidence is required for more serious accusations.

In response to the attacks on foreign journalists and diplomats, police and the domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet launched “Operation Olive Leaf” on Monday, arresting 10 Israelis in raids near Ofra and Shiloh. However, no other arrests or investigations have been announced for the numerous other settler attacks against Palestinians reported over the weekend. Beyond these prominent incidents, masked settlers, often accompanied by soldiers, have targeted farmers, livestock, homes, and land across the West Bank. Attacks include the assault and injury of two women in Beit Lid on Tuesday, and the injury of American citizen Haytham Tayseer in Burqa on Thursday, who sustained severe head wounds. In Ma’in, Masafer Yatta, six people, including four women and a child, were injured on Saturday, according to the Red Crescent. Settlers reportedly burned four vehicles in Turmus Aya, including a civil defense vehicle, and set fire to a mosque in Mikhmas, as reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa. Settlers also reportedly stabbed approximately 20 sheep to death in Kafr Malek, according to Mayor Najeh Rustum. Bulldozers uprooted hundreds of olive trees in Kafr Malek, and 120 olive trees were cut down in Kisan, near Bethlehem.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate rapidly. Israel announced on October 14 that commercial goods would be barred from entering Gaza, citing a dispute over a per-truck fee between merchants and Hamas. Gaza’s Government Media Office refuted this, calling it “blatant disinformation” and stating the fee was a voluntary contribution. By Sunday, significant price hikes were observed, with the cost of eggs rising from 35 shekels ($11.30) to 60-70 shekels ($18-$21), and a sack of flour increasing from 25-35 shekels ($7.50-$10.50) to around 80 shekels ($24). This comes as the World Food Programme announced a reduction in the number of people it feeds monthly in Gaza, from 1.6 million to 1.1 million. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports 466 deaths from malnutrition since 2024, with 67 percent of the population facing crisis-level food insecurity or worse by year-end.

Israeli forces have continued to kill Palestinians in Gaza daily. As of October 19, Gaza’s Health Ministry reported 1,522 killed and 5,421 wounded since the last “ceasefire,” with 27 killed in the past week. The cumulative death toll since October 7, 2023, has reached 74,480. Among the recent fatalities are three children, including 14-year-old Muhammad Riyad Abu Hammad, killed by shrapnel on his way home from school, and Misk Hazem al-Dalu and Tamer Shadi Subh. UNICEF indicates over 340 children have been killed since the ceasefire. Drone strikes in the past week have resulted in multiple deaths, including Ahmad Raja al-Shaer, Basel Nabil Qeshta, Reem Awad, Mahmoud al-Madhoun, Ubaida Murtaja, Abdullah and Imad Jaber, Sheikh Majid al-Sabbagh, Amer al-Horani, and police officer Abd al-Jawad Joudeh. Shootings have also led to fatalities, including Saddam al-Za’anin, Hatem Abu Hasanein, Huda Abu Adwan, and Wijdan Shurrab. Israel’s military claims some of those killed were Hamas members, though these claims have not been independently verified.

Furthermore, Israeli forces have advanced the “Yellow Line” deeper into Shujayea, placing concrete blocks on al-Qa’qa Street. This line demarcates areas under Israeli control, which now encompass approximately 65 percent of Gaza, exceeding the boundaries established by the previous “ceasefire” agreement.