The Olive Harvest Under Siege: West Bank Farmers Face Escalating Violence

The annual olive harvest, traditionally a cornerstone of Palestinian culture, economic survival, and community solidarity, has transformed into what United Nations experts describe as a “season of fear.” In the occupied West Bank, escalating attacks by Israeli forces and settlers have severely disrupted agricultural activities, leaving local farmers to navigate systemic violence and property destruction.

According to data documented by the UN emergency aid coordination office, OCHA, the past two weeks have seen a sharp rise in casualties and agricultural disruption. Five Palestinians were killed and over 240 injured by Israeli forces or settlers during this brief period. The violence has directly targeted the agricultural sector, with 200 olive harvest-related attacks documented since the start of September. During the last two weeks alone, 160 olive harvest-related settler attacks resulted in casualties, property damage, or both, while record demolitions displaced 96 Palestinians.

Systemic Obstacles and Legal Obligations

UN independent human rights experts have issued urgent warnings regarding the safety of Palestinian farmers as they attempt to access their ancestral lands. The experts, appointed by the Human Rights Council, emphasized that the harvest should be a period of dignity and livelihood rather than destruction.

The experts highlighted that Israel is under an international legal obligation to:

  • End its occupation of Palestinian land
  • Immediately cease new settlement activities
  • Evacuate settlers from the Occupied Palestinian Territory
  • Provide full reparation for the damage caused by its violations, including by returning land and allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes

Furthermore, the experts warned that the situation is poised to deteriorate further following new Israeli orders for uprooting olive trees and the imposition of strict access restrictions on farmers. They called on the international community, particularly influential states, to exercise maximum pressure to protect civilians, halt annexation policies, and ensure accountability under international law.

Gaza's Compounding Humanitarian Crisis: Winter Floods and Funding Shortfalls

While the West Bank faces agricultural blockades and physical violence, the Gaza Strip remains gripped by a severe humanitarian crisis. Ongoing military operations, including airstrikes, gunfire, shelling, incursions, and demolitions, continue to claim lives and cause widespread displacement. These actions have occurred alongside reported shifts in the so-called “yellow line” imposed by Israel since the ceasefire agreement.

Local health authorities reported to OCHA that 57 Palestinians were killed and 319 injured between 29 September and 12 October. This brings the total casualties since the October 2025 ceasefire agreement to 1,493 fatalities and 5,299 injuries.

The Onset of Winter and Infrastructure Collapse

The physical dangers of military action are now compounded by the rapid onset of winter. Nearly one million displaced Palestinians are facing severe flood risks, with OCHA assessing that around 950,000 people are living in sites at medium to high risk of flooding, including over 400,000 individuals classified as being at high risk.

The humanitarian response is severely constrained by a lack of resources:

  • Available supplies offer partial assistance to only 18 per cent of the 294,250 families requiring shelter support for the rainy season.
  • Funding shortages have forced UN agencies to make major cuts to food programmes, causing daily cooked-meal production to decline by 12 per cent to approximately 614,000.
  • Critical shortages of fuel, engine oil, and essential supplies threaten the continuity of basic health and water services.

The combination of physical insecurity, agricultural disruption in the West Bank, and systemic resource deprivation in Gaza paints a grim picture of the humanitarian landscape, demanding immediate international attention and systemic policy shifts.