Israeli Forces Conduct 19 Attacks on West Bank Palestinians and Farmlands in Hours

Israeli forces launched 19 assaults on Palestinian communities throughout the occupied West Bank from early Friday until around noon, hitting olive growers, trees, crops, livestock and vehicles, a report by the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission told Anadolu Agency.

The commission’s initial monitoring, based on field reporting, revealed a spike in attacks coinciding with the olive harvest season, encompassing assaults on farmers and the burning and uprooting of olive trees.

Specific incidents included setting a vehicle ablaze during an assault on farmers in Tell, uprooting over 50 olive trees in Qusra, and targeting olive pickers in Jurish, Beita, Naqoura, Birzeit, Deir Ibzi and Far’ata, the commission said.

Occupiers also opened fire in Deir Ballut and a farmer was wounded in Kafr ad‑Dik, the commission added.

An elderly Palestinian woman was injured in Birin, east of Hebron, after Israeli forces released dogs on farmers, and sheep were stolen in Ein Qiniya, the commission reported.

A Palestinian man and his child were assaulted and their vehicle stolen in Yabroud, while other vehicles were attacked in Sarda and Al‑Rayhan.

In a separate incident, the official Wafa news agency said Israeli forces attacked Palestinians harvesting olives near Jurish, north of Nablus, causing crop damage.

Local sources reported that occupiers set fire to olive trees in Wadi al‑Shaer, located between Salfit and Al‑Lubban ash‑Sharqiya.

Near Ramallah, Israeli forces fired tear gas at olive pickers in the Wadi al‑Lubban and Gharaba areas east of Abwein and barred farmers from accessing their land, Wafa said.

Dozens of Israeli forces stormed an area between Sarda and Al‑Rayhan north of Ramallah, hurled stones at Palestinian vehicles, and fired live ammunition into the air, damaging a nearby memorial, according to reports.

In Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, Israeli forces released livestock onto Palestinian land in Khirbet Umm al‑Khair, threatening grazing areas and crops, Wafa reported.

The Palestinian olive harvest season commenced on 20 September, and the Ministry of Agriculture forecasts approximately 21,000 tons of olive oil production for the current season.

The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission reported that over 45,000 trees were cut down or damaged across the West Bank in the first half of 2026, of which more than 26,000 were olive trees.

Since October 2023, Israeli forces have escalated attacks against Palestinians and their property across the occupied West Bank. Palestinian figures indicate that 1,210 people have been killed, 13,350 injured and 26,000 arrested during that period.

Source link