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Settler Attacks Disrupt Olive Harvest in West Bank, 16 Palestinians Detained
On Friday, the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission recorded at least 19 settler attacks across the West Bank. The incidents included assaults on olive harvesters, burning and uprooting of olive trees, theft of crops and livestock, and attacks on Palestinians and their vehicles. In Qusra, more than 50 olive trees were uprooted. In the Tal, a Palestinian-owned vehicle was set on fire and farmers were assaulted. Harvesters were attacked in Jorish, Beita, Naqoura, Birzeit, Deir Bzeih and Farata. A farmer was injured by gunfire in Kafr ad-Dik, and live ammunition was reportedly used during a settler pogrom in Deir Ballut. In Berin, east of Hebron, an elderly woman was injured when settlers set dogs on farmers while sheep were stolen in Ein Qinya. In Yabrud, a man and his child were attacked and their vehicle stolen. Settler attacks on Palestinian-owned vehicles were also reported in Sarda and al-Rihan. Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Ramallah, said settlers, backed by Israeli forces, have become more brazen during the harvest season, targeting Palestinians even when international activists are present. She noted that settlers wait for harvest groups to leave before attacking and that a family was attacked by settlers building an illegal outpost near Ramallah.
In addition to the attacks, Israeli forces detained 16 Palestinians in raids across the West Bank. In Hebron, nine Palestinians were arrested after searches of homes, including Ibrahimi Mosque Director Moataz Abu Sneineh and Hammam Abu Markhiya, a mosque custodian. In Qalqilya, five Palestinians were arrested during a raid, and two more were detained after searches in Beita, south of Nablus. The arrests were reported by the Palestinian Wafa news agency and local sources speaking to Anadolu.