Israeli Forces Detain 36 Palestinians Amidst Escalating Attacks on Farmers During Olive Harvest

Israeli forces have apprehended 36 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, coinciding with a surge in attacks targeting Palestinian farmers and their lands during the crucial olive harvest season. In the Jenin governorate, Israeli forces conducted raids on Thursday, arresting 10 Palestinians, as reported by the Palestinian news agency Wafa, citing information from the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society. The Hebron governorate also saw Israeli forces raid the town of Tuqu on Thursday, detaining former prisoner Shorok al-Badan and five other individuals, according to Wafa. The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported that 14 people were arrested by Israeli forces in the village of Khirbet Jawaya, located in Masafer Yatta in Hebron, while Wafa, referencing a security source, stated that three additional Palestinians were arrested in other areas of the Hebron governorate. Further arrests occurred in Nablus and Jerusalem, with three Palestinians detained during Israeli raids in the village of Burin, the town of Awarta, and the Qalandiya refugee camp.

The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission documented 17 incidents on Thursday involving Israeli forces and settlers targeting Palestinian farmers and their land during the olive harvest. These attacks, which occurred across various West Bank governorates including Hebron, Qalqilya, Nablus, Ramallah and el-Bireh, Jenin, and Salfit, involved assaults on farmers, obstruction of access to their land, theft of crops and agricultural equipment, destruction and burning of olive trees, as well as arrests, threats at gunpoint, and the use of live fire. The Commission asserts that this pattern signifies an escalation in attacks aimed at the olive harvest, severely impacting Palestinians' ability to access, cultivate their land, and sustain their livelihoods. These actions by Israeli forces against Palestinian farmers have drawn international attention and condemnation. Notably, US Democratic congressional candidate Brad Lander was briefly detained and warned by the Israeli military on Wednesday while volunteering to assist Palestinian farmers with their olive harvest in the occupied West Bank.