HEBRON, November 23, 2024 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation forces attacked a group of Palestinian farmers on Saturday evening after raiding the village of Khallet al-Farra, located west of the town of Yatta, in the southern West Bank. The assault occurred as farmers from the Al-Shawahin family were harvesting olives on their land.
Local sources and witnesses reported that Israeli soldiers briefly detained several members of the Al-Shawahin family for several hours, while they were in the midst of olive picking, and physically assaulted them.
The attack appears to be part of ongoing efforts by Israeli occupation forces to prevent Palestinians from accessing their lands in order to seize them for the expansion of the nearby illegal settlement of Otniel, which is illegally built on Palestinian land south of Hebron.
The olive harvest season in the West Bank has become increasingly dangerous in recent years, with frequent reports of attacks by Israeli colonists and soldiers. This year, assaults on Palestinian farmers have escalated, with incidents including physical violence, the burning and uprooting of olive trees, theft of harvests, and restrictions on farmers' access to their lands.
The Palestinian Authority's Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reports that since the beginning of the olive season, Israeli forces and colonists have carried out dozens of attacks against Palestinian farmers, with incidents of violence continuing to rise.
In October alone, the commission documented 1,490 violations committed by Israeli forces and colonists against Palestinians, their land, and property, particularly in the West Bank.
M.N
