Israeli forces fire on Palestinian farmers during olive harvest

Israeli forces have fired live rounds and deployed stun and tear gas grenades against Palestinian farmers during olive harvesting activities in the central West Bank village of Kobar. The Saturday incident north of Ramallah forced several farmers to retreat from their lands without completing the vital seasonal harvest, though no injuries were reported from the confrontation.

Legal Access Denied Despite Court Ruling

Farmer Fahd Abu al-Hajj confirmed to Anadolu that the farmers were attempting to exercise their legal right to harvest olives under an Israeli Supreme Court ruling specifically permitting access to the area. "The occupation army prevented farmers from reaching their lands west of the village," he stated, noting that soldiers opened fire despite the judicial authorization for the agricultural activity in the Qanater and Daak areas.

Pattern of Settler Violence and Land Restrictions

The military intervention follows a longstanding pattern of restrictions near the illegal Halamish settlement outpost, where both Israeli forces and settlers have repeatedly barred Palestinians from accessing their agricultural lands for years. In a separate incident the same day, armed settlers attacked olive harvesters in Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah, assaulting a family, damaging their vehicle, and attempting to forcibly expel them from their own land before being confronted.

Systematic Agricultural Suppression

The Palestinian Authority's Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission has described this year's olive harvest as "the most dangerous in decades," noting the complete absence of protection for farmers facing daily assaults. According to official data, settlers and soldiers have damaged or destroyed 48,728 trees—including 37,237 olive trees—while settler attacks over two years have resulted in 33 Palestinian fatalities and the displacement of 33 Bedouin communities throughout the West Bank.