Palestinian farmers face renewed threats during olive harvest, UN experts warn

Palestinian farmers in the occupied West Bank are facing renewed threats to their livelihoods, cultural rights, food security and food sovereignty as the annual olive harvest begins, according to a press release issued on 19 October 2026 by the United Nations (UN) human rights experts. The experts urged Israel to guarantee farmers’ protection and safe access to their land. They cautioned that violence, destruction and restrictions have escalated with each passing season. The statement was issued from Geneva by seven Special Rapporteurs and Working Group members. It warns that the harvest has become a time of fear and loss rather than dignity.

During the 2025 olive harvest, 178 settler attacks linked to the harvest were documented across the occupied West Bank. These attacks affected 88 Palestinian towns and villages, the highest number of locations recorded since 2020. More than 6,000 trees and saplings were vandalized, nearly double the number in 2024 and the highest in six years. Food security in the occupied West Bank has long been under severe strain. This is driven by intensifying settler attacks displacing mainly Bedouin and herding communities, and by Israel’s continued withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues.

The experts voiced alarm over orders issued by Israeli military authorities in September 2026 to remove vegetation from approximately 339,000 square metres (84 acres) of Palestinian agricultural land. The affected areas lie in the northern and central occupied West Bank, including plots planted with olive trees in Jenin, Qabatiya and Beit Rima. The orders include provisions for uprooting olive trees. They impose extremely short periods for landowners to remove vegetation and file objections. Reports also cite olive groves being uprooted by Israeli military bulldozers near Ramallah shortly before the harvest.

“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 warned that olive trees take years to mature and can sustain families for generations. Their destruction, the experts noted, undermines local food systems, cultural practices and ways of life. This year, the Israeli military modified its policy, preventing Palestinians from obtaining permits or harvesting olives on land classified by Israel as “State land.” That includes plots traditionally harvested by Palestinian farmers for generations.

The experts urged Israel to ensure its forces protect Palestinian farmers from settler attacks and refrain from interference with their access to land. They reiterated Israel’s international legal obligation to end its occupation, cease new settlement activities, evacuate settlers and provide full reparation for damages. They further called on the international community, especially States with power and influence, to exercise maximum pressure to protect Palestinian civilians. The experts stressed the need to halt and reverse expanding annexation policies and practices. They also called for accountability for decades of violations of Palestinian rights under international law.