What began as a cherished day in the groves of Abu Falah—when families gather to pick olives in a yearly ritual of rural life—erupted into violence when dozens of masked Israeli settlers swept into the West Bank village’s harvest.
At least two people were injured, among them a journalist, according to Palestinian medics.
Reuters witnesses said about 80 settlers came down from a hill overlooking a terraced olive grove where villagers had assembled to harvest ripe fruit. Some carried gas canisters, and they moved quickly into the lanes between the trees, cutting off access to parts of the hillside.
After taking positions along the terraced rows, several settlers used slings to hurl stones at Palestinians below. Villagers retreated toward the base of the hill, then picked up rocks and threw them back in an attempt to protect themselves.
“The settlers want to attack us and force us from our homes,” said a 42-year-old farmer who witnessed the attack in Abu Falah.
Midway through the confrontation, at least two Israeli military jeeps drove rapidly through the area, sending up clouds of dust as villagers scrambled out of their path.
Even after the military vehicles arrived, the assault did not stop. Israeli soldiers fired tear gas toward Palestinians who had moved aside to avoid the jeeps.
Live gunfire could be heard nearby, and a Reuters photographer reported seeing at least one armed settler discharge a weapon.
The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Palestinian medics said two injured people were taken to hospitals in the Ramallah area. One was Heidi Levine, a photojournalist with the Washington Post. The newspaper did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Settler violence surges in West Bank
The Abu Falah incident comes as Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank rises sharply. Since 27 September—around the beginning of the annual olive harvest—there have been at least 170 attacks, according to Yesh Din, an Israeli group that monitors settlements.
Settlers have been emboldened by the right-wing government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which has presided over fast growth in settlements and smaller outposts across the West Bank.
Mr Netanyahu has condemned the violence but has taken few measures to curb episodes that have prompted international outrage and spurred sanction plans by longstanding Israeli allies, including Britain.
Roughly 500,000 settlers and at least three million Palestinians live in the West Bank.
UN bodies and most countries say the settlements violate international law on military occupations. Israel disputes that view, arguing the land is contested rather than occupied.
The assault in Abu Falah followed a similar attack earlier today near Turmus Ayya village, where settlers burned three cars after targeting farmers who were picking olives. The military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
A witness to the Turmus Ayya incident said the settlers “snuck up like thieves, they caught someone by himself and began to beat him”.
