Under the cover of war: settlers and soldiers prevent farmers of Nahalin from accessing their lands

Since October 2023, farmers from the village of Nahalin have been denied access to their lands by settlers and soldiers. The report describes tree cutting, violent arrests, and beatings. The council head says that out of 8,000 dunams, only 2,000 remain accessible.

Since October 2023, farmers from the village of Nahalin near Bethlehem have been denied access to their lands by settlers and soldiers. The report describes a series of incidents: the cutting of about 50 olive trees, violent arrests in which residents' hands and feet were bound and their eyes covered, and beatings that led to hospitalizations. Council head Naim Fanoun reported that out of approximately 8,000 dunams of agricultural land that were previously accessible, only about 2,000 dunams remain accessible. The farmers describe a settler in a jeep who chases them away and releases a dog, and soldiers who order them to leave without a warrant. Attorney Reut Shaer from the Association for Civil Rights stated that the state and the army are obligated to protect the residents, but in practice they are complicit in their removal. The report describes a centuries-old agricultural tradition that has been severely damaged.