GENEVA
UN experts warned Monday that Palestinian farmers in the occupied West Bank face escalating violence, land destruction and access restrictions by Israeli occupiers as the annual olive harvest begins.
“Palestinian farmers must be protected and able to access their land safely. Yet, year after year, the violence, destruction and restrictions intensify,” the experts said in a statement, urging Israel to ensure their protection.
During the 2025 olive harvest, 178 occupier attacks linked to the harvest were documented across 88 Palestinian towns and villages, the highest number of affected locations since 2020, according to the experts.
More than 6,000 olive trees and saplings were vandalized, nearly double the 2024 figure and the highest number in six years, they said.
The experts also raised alarm over Israeli military orders issued in September 2026 to remove vegetation from approximately 339,000 square meters (84 acres) of Palestinian agricultural land, including olive groves in Jenin, Qabatiya and Beit Rima.
The orders allow olive trees to be uprooted and give landowners extremely limited time to remove vegetation or file objections, according to the experts.
They also warned that Israeli authorities have increasingly denied farmers permits to access their land.
A revised military policy also prevents Palestinians from harvesting olives on land Israel classifies as “state land,” including plots cultivated for generations, they said.
“The olive harvest is an essential source of food, income and livelihood for thousands of Palestinian families, and is deeply rooted in Palestinian cultural and agricultural heritage,” the experts said.
They urged Israel to protect farmers from attacks by occupiers, guarantee access to agricultural land and comply with its obligations under international law.
“The international community, especially States with power and influence, must exercise maximum pressure to protect Palestinian civilians, halt and reverse the rapidly expanding policies and practices of annexation and ensure accountability for decades of violations of Palestinian rights under international law,” they concluded.
