The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) reports that the number of settler attacks in the West Bank affecting the olive harvest season has already exceeded last year’s number.
So far this year, nearly 200 settler attacks linked to the olive harvest have caused casualties or property damage, Ocha said in a statement. That is more than the 185 incidents recorded during the entire 2025 season.
This year’s attacks have killed one Palestinian, injured more than 120 others, and damaged over 2,500 trees or saplings. About 80 per cent of these incidents took place in the past two weeks, with many communities starting to pick olives early to reduce the risks, the statement read.
Humanitarian partners have provided pickers with equipment and other agricultural supplies. They are also monitoring restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on access to groves close to settlements and behind the 712-kilometre-long Barrier, and providing legal support.
"In Gaza, humanitarian partners say the destruction of olive groves, restricted access to farmland – particularly beyond the “Yellow Line” – and restrictions on the entry of agricultural supplies, engine oil and spare parts are severely limiting cultivation and harvesting, as well as the operation of the few remaining olive presses," the statement said.