The Palestinian commission reported 409 attacks against olive farmers, trees and agricultural property in the West Bank from Oct. 1 through 21, threatening an important source of income for local families.
It attributed 317 attacks to settlers and 92 to Israeli forces. A separate tally recorded 17 attacks across six West Bank governorates on Thursday.
The commission said settlers burned olive trees in Imatin's al-Shubaat area, east of Qalqilya. It said Israeli forces drove farmers from their fields and prevented them from completing the harvest. In al-Jabal, the commission said, Israeli forces detained farmer Yousef Juma and several workers.
The reported incidents included assaults, blocked access to farmland, stolen olives and equipment, damaged trees, detentions, armed threats and gunfire. The commission warned that farmers blocked from their land can lose this season's crop and income, while damaged trees may reduce later harvests.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that 80,000 to 100,000 Palestinian families depend on the olive harvest. The estimate adds context to EconoTimes' earlier coverage of the harvest's economic importance.
