340 attacks by the Israeli occupying forces on Palestinians collecting olives in the West Bank since October

Müeyyed Şaban, Chairman of the Council Against the Separation Wall and Jewish Settlements, informed about the issue in his statement.

“The Israeli army and the Israelis who have usurped Palestinian land have carried out 340 attacks on olive harvesters since the start of the olive harvest season (since October).” Sharing his information, Şaban noted that according to his teams' records, 62 of the attacks in different parts of the West Bank were carried out by the Israeli army and 278 were carried out by the Israelis usurping Palestinian land.

Stating that the violations included physical violence, detention, restrictions on movement, transportation restrictions, intimidation and threats, and direct fire, Şaban said that there were 107 attacks in Ramallah, 94 attacks in Nablus and 38 attacks in Hebron.

The Palestinian official said 59 cases of physical assault and attacks on farmers have been recorded, and also stated that attacks on olive groves have resulted in the destruction of 1,200 trees since the start of the harvest season.

The olive harvest season is considered one of the most important periods for the agricultural sector in Palestine. The livelihood and source of income of thousands of Palestinian families depend on the harvest during this period.

The statement from the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture said that one of the most inefficient olive seasons in recent years had taken place, with production unable to exceed even 15 percent of the normal season.