GHLands : Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property intensified across several areas of the West Bank on Thursday, coinciding with the sixth day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
The attacks included preventing farmers from reaching their land and harvesting olives, stealing and destroying crops, and bulldozing privately owned Palestinian land. Settlers also raided towns and archaeological sites, attacked Palestinian vehicles, and blocked major roads.
Farmers Attacked in Odala
Israeli settlers attacked farmers from the town of Odala, south of Nablus, preventing them from reaching their land and harvesting olives as the annual picking season began.
Local sources reported that the attack took place in the town’s plain, where settlers expelled the farmers and forced them to leave before completing their work.
Odala was also targeted in June, when an attack involving Molotov cocktails sparked fires on land near the town’s main water well.
Olive Crops Stolen in Al-Mughayyir
In the village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, settlers entered Palestinian-owned land and stole harvested olives under the protection of Israeli forces.
Clashes broke out between Palestinian youths and Israeli forces as residents attempted to confront the settlers. Israeli soldiers also took positions on the rooftops of two homes belonging to Abdel Hayy Naasan and Rayeq Naasan.
Privately Owned Land Bulldozed in Umm Safa
In the village of Umm Safa, northwest of Ramallah, machinery and bulldozers operated by settlers razed privately owned Palestinian land.
At the same time, Israeli forces continued to surround the home of resident Mohammad Al-Obayat for the fifth consecutive day and prevented villagers from reaching the local cemetery.
Marwan Sabah, head of the Umm Safa Village Council, said the siege was intended to pressure the homeowner into leaving because the property is located near a settlement outpost.
Sabah added that settlers had seized hundreds of dunams of land south of the village and established an outpost there approximately two months earlier. He warned of a plan to displace the village’s residents and establish a large settlement complex in the area.
Roads Blocked in Wadi Raya
Dozens of settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, entered the Wadi Raya area between the towns of Deir Nidham and Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah.
During the raid, Israeli forces closed several roads and prevented Palestinian vehicles from passing, causing traffic congestion and forcing residents to take longer alternative routes.
Naji Al-Tamimi, head of the Nabi Saleh Village Council, said raids by Israeli forces and settlers had intensified since October 7, 2023, alongside restrictions preventing Palestinians from reaching and cultivating their agricultural land.
Attacks Intensify During the Harvest Season
These incidents form part of a growing wave of attacks targeting Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest season. The violations include denying farmers access to their land, stealing crops, and cutting down or burning trees.
According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Nablus Governorate recorded 900 settler attacks during the first half of 2026.
In August alone, the governorate recorded 137 attacks out of a total of 628 documented across the West Bank during the same month.
The attacks resulted in 6,015 trees being cut down or damaged in Nablus Governorate during the first half of the year, including olive trees.
More Than 98,000 Olive Trees Damaged
Data from the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture, covering the period through the end of September 2026, showed that 98,293 olive trees had been damaged across the West Bank.
Direct losses to the olive crop exceeded $66.5 million, while cumulative losses recorded since 2023 reached approximately $316.9 million, reflecting the scale of the ongoing damage to the Palestinian agricultural sector.
Farmers Denied Access to Expanding Areas of Land
Tariq Abu Laban, Assistant Undersecretary at the Ministry of Agriculture, said the amount of land located near the separation wall and Israeli settlements that Palestinian farmers are prevented from accessing had increased from 130,000 dunams to between 220,000 and 230,000 dunams.
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