Israeli forces and settler attacks damaged at least 3,522 fruit trees and caused agricultural losses exceeding $1.9 million over a period of a week in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture announced.
The ministry's report for the week of 8 - 15 October showed that settlers had intensified their targeting of farmers and their crops during the olive harvesting season. At least 2,667 olive trees - three-quarters of the trees included in the survey - were reported damaged.
The damage varied between cutting down, uprooting, and burning trees, in addition to stealing and confiscating olive fruits, and destroying agricultural facilities and irrigation networks.
The report also noted that Palestinian farmers were prevented from accessing their lands, threatening their ability to harvest crops and compounding their losses during a season on which thousands of Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank depend as a source of income.
The ministry's report added that settlers stole 8,612 kilograms of olives, equivalent to approximately 8.6 tons.
The impact of this theft extends beyond the value of the olives themselves; farmers also lose a portion of their seasonal income and bear the costs of tree care and harvesting without any guarantee of safe access to their land or the ability to market their produce.
Hebron Governorate topped the list of the most affected areas with losses estimated at approximately $455,000, followed by Jenin with approximately $452,000.
The similarity in losses between the two governorates reflects the wide geographical extent of the damage, while the remaining losses are distributed across other areas of the West Bank.
The report comes after a week of even greater losses, with the Ministry of Agriculture's report for the period from 1 - 8 October documenting direct losses of approximately $3,678,000 and damage to 3,192 olive trees in seven governorates, with Jenin being the most affected.
The new report records damage in the following week, indicating continued losses throughout the harvest season.
The olive harvest is a primary source of income and employment in Palestinian villages, supporting tens of thousands of families wholly or partially.
The effects of the attacks go beyond the trees and the harvest, impacting family incomes and activities related to harvesting, pressing, and trade.