UN: Settler Attacks on Olive Harvest Aim to Separate Palestinians from their LandRamallah, 22 Oct (ONA) — Head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory Ajith Sunghay said that the escalating attacks on the olive harvest season represent one of many Israeli aggression designed to sever connection, to annex the land, to dispossess Palestinians, and facilitate the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements. During a press conference Sunghay held in Ramallah, he stressed that the past three years were unimaginably difficult, as Israeli settler violence and access restrictions prevented many farmers from harvesting their land. He added: “Settler violence has skyrocketed in scale and frequency, with the acquiescence, support, and in many cases participation, of Israeli security forces – and always with impunity.” He emphasized that the new Israeli checkpoints and iron gates separated Palestinian farmers from their lands, with disastrous consequences. In 2023, 96,000 dunums of olive land were left unharvested, resulting in losses exceeding $10 million for Palestinian farmers. The same pattern continued in the 2024 season. The Head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory noted that between 80,000 and 100,000 Palestinian families depend on the olive harvest as their primary source of livelihood. “It is not an understatement to say that the harvest season is the economic backbone of rural Palestinian communities,” he added. Although tensions, violence, and restrictions imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities are not new in the context of the olive harvest, he pointed to statements by Israeli government officials about the intention to annex the entire West Bank and forcibly displace Palestinians. He said: “We must remember, no matter how long the occupation has lasted, that this is not to be normalized. Israel has a legal obligation to end the occupation and reverse the annexation of the West Bank. Israel’s denial of Palestinians’ right to life, livelihood, safety, security, dignity, and self-determination is unlawful and unacceptable.” Sunghay said: “The implications are reverberating in the West Bank. If action is not taken to ensure accountability and a viable path to a just peace, the repercussions will be felt around the world. The international community, especially member states with power and influence, must exercise maximum pressure to protect civilians, halt and reverse the rapidly expanding policies of annexation, and ensure accountability for decades of violations of Palestinians’ rights under international law.” He emphasized that the beginning is to exert efforts to ensure Palestinians’ full access to their lands, calling for a coordinated international effort to protect the olive season and ensure the safety of Palestinian farmers and workers. The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian citizens and foreign activists during the olive harvest season in the occupied West Bank, stressing that the attempts of the occupation authorities must not go unpunished, as they not only constitute a flagrant violation of international law, but also a threat to the values ​​of justice on which the foundations of the international system are based, as well as other norms and fundamental rights.— Ends/Khalid