UN experts says Palestinian olive farmers face ‘most dangerous season ever’

By Anjali Sharma

UNITED NATIONS – UN human rights experts on Thursday said that Palestinian farmers in Israeli-occupied West Bank are facing the “most dangerous olive season ever,”.

The olive harvest, central to Palestinian life and culture, is under severe threat from escalating violence and restrictions, the said.

The experts stressed “The Palestinian people’s relationship to olive trees, dates back hundreds of years, is also about their relationship with their ancestors and to their future,”.

They said that by “restricting olive harvests, destroying orchards and banning access to water sources is an attempt by Israel to expand its illegal settlements.”

“In 2023, the harvest was marred by a sharp increase in movement restrictions and violence by Israeli forces and settlers” the experts reported.

They noted that last year saw “the highest level of Israeli settler violence” in the occupied West Bank, including “physical assaults, setting fire and damaging property, stealing sheep and blocking them from accessing their land, water and grazing areas”.

Experts said that it has caused a “record number of Palestinians to be displaced.”

The restrictions have led to significant economic losses. In 2023, over 96,000 dunums of olive-cultivated land remained un harvested due to Israeli-imposed restrictions, resulted in a loss of 1,200 metric tons of olive oil, valued at $10 million, the experts concluded.