Settlers reportedly attack Palestinians in olive groves as harvest season begins

At least one Palestinian was injured Friday in a settler attack in the village of Beita, south of Nablus, as the olive harvest season begins. Footage shows an armed settler telling Palestinians they are not allowed in the area; soldiers later removed Palestinians using tear gas. Additional incidents were reported near Asira al-Shamaliya and Ni'lin, and on Thursday settlers were filmed vandalizing olive trees near al-Mughayyir as IDF soldiers looked on.

At least one Palestinian was injured Friday in a settler attack in the village of Beita, south of Nablus in the northern West Bank, the Red Crescent reported. Footage from Beita showed an armed settler, apparently a member of a security squad from a nearby settlement, telling Palestinians and accompanying activists they were not allowed in the area. Soldiers later removed the Palestinians, with footage showing troops firing tear gas. According to Palestinian media, settlers also attacked Palestinians harvesting olives near the village of Asira al-Shamaliya, north of Nablus, while soldiers reportedly prevented Palestinians from harvesting near the Ramallah-area village of Ni'lin. No injuries were reported in either incident. On Thursday, settlers were filmed vandalizing and stealing olives from trees belonging to the nearby village of al-Mughayyir, as IDF soldiers looked on without acting. The article notes that such acts have intensified amid the start of the annual olive harvest season, which has previously seen an uptick in attacks. Settler violence in the West Bank has risen sharply since the Hamas-led onslaught of October 7, 2023, that sparked the war in Gaza. The article also reports that on Thursday, the Palestinian Authority's health ministry said 51-year-old Mashhour Yassin was shot dead by settlers near the central West Bank village of Yasuf, though Israeli security forces said soldiers had opened fire on Palestinians throwing stones. President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday said settler violence 'can be stopped' and accused the government of failing to do everything it can to stop it.