Palestinian Farmers Fight Settler Sabotage to Save Hebron’s Harvests and Livestock

Amid the grapevines that once sustained her family’s livelihood, 56-year-old Palestinian farmer Theeba al‑Sabaa spends much of her day defending her home and fields in the occupied West Bank from settler encroachment.

From dawn to dusk, she tends her land in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, a region the locals refer to as “Jabal Sabaa.”

Al‑Sabaa wages a daily struggle against the expanding settler outposts that have sprouted across the surrounding hills, blocking access to portions of her farmland.

“By God, the land has taught me patience, and to cling to my right; as long as I have a right, I must claim it and never let it go,” she told Al Jazeera.

“I will never abandon it because I have labored hard on it; I toil and sweat on it, and I will not relinquish the sweat of my children and husband to anyone else.”

Weaponizing livestock

Since mid‑2024, when settlers set up new outposts on the nearby hills, every move al‑Sabaa makes has been watched.

Settlers frequently approach the perimeter of her home and deliberately release livestock onto the cultivated fields.

“They bring their sheep onto our land after we have plowed and prepared it, letting the animals graze, trample the crops, and stomp on them, leaving nothing,” al‑Sabaa said.

“As soon as they sense any movement or anyone entering the land, they attack us immediately.”

This intimidation extends to the neighboring fields, where 59‑year‑old Anwar Sabarneh lives with his extended family of seven brothers.

Because of repeated settler violations, two of his brothers have been forced to abandon their land.

Sabarneh, who supports a family of 14, owns several dunams of vineyards situated just 300 metres (980 feet) from his home. With aggressive settlers nearby, reaching them has become a hazardous ordeal.

Military complicity

Sabarneh said that the Israeli army even requires Palestinians to obtain permits to work on their own land.

“The army arrived with the settlers to demand a permit so I could work on my own home, in front of my door, and on my land where I am the rightful owner,” Sabarneh said.

Farmers are also prohibited from building any structures on their land. Sabarneh’s sheep have been confined to a barn for more than eight months because of the dangers posed by settlers.

“If they see me taking the sheep out, the settlers chase me, seize them, and steal them,” he said.

When Sabarneh’s children have attempted to retrieve the stolen sheep, Israeli soldiers have arrested and beaten them.

A forced exodus

Repeated attacks by settlers against Palestinian farmers reflect a broader strategy targeting agriculture across the southern West Bank.

Settlers and Israeli troops carried out 11,074 attacks in the West Bank during the first half of 2026, according to the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, of which 3,488 were carried out by settlers.

Hasan Breijieh, a settlement‑affairs expert and director at the commission, told Al Jazeera that ongoing settlement expansion, combined with restrictions on Palestinian movement, are the main reasons many Palestinians have been forced to abandon their farms.

“Military gates erected at the entrances of Palestinian communities have tightened control over access to their orchards and vineyards,” he said.

Bypass roads, built by Israel, have also hindered “connectivity between Palestinian communities”, Breijieh added.

Under these restrictions, Palestinian farmers have endured a fourth consecutive season without being able to harvest olives, grapes, or guava. Their lands have remained “unplowed and unpruned”, and have been forcibly abandoned.

Faced with such oppression, Palestinian women like Theeba al‑Sabaa continue to play a pivotal role in protecting their land, especially when men have been killed or detained by Israeli forces.

“They continue to maintain their leadership role in preserving the family’s agricultural legacy today,” Breijieh said. “Historically, this land was the primary source of livelihood for families, and a Palestinian cannot leave it voluntarily, regardless of the sacrifices.”

He recalled his own grandfather, who went to his fields to bid farewell before his death. “Goodbye, vineyard,” he said to his land.

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