Urgent call from the Palestinian Farmers Union, as its September report documents over 10,700 olive trees damaged across the West Bank.
As the olive harvest begins, ILC stands with its member, the Palestinian Farmers Union (PFU), in calling for the urgent protection of Palestinian farmers, their families and their land.
Urgent call from the Palestinian Farmers Union
The Palestinian Farmers Union calls upon the international community, United Nations agencies, diplomatic missions, international human rights and humanitarian organisations, farmers' unions and solidarity movements to take urgent action to protect Palestinian farmers, their families and their agricultural lands during the 2026 olive harvest season.
The killing of 44-year-old Ali Hassan Yusr al-Bazzari in Ramin on 7 October, amid an attack involving Israeli settlers and forces, comes following several incidents affecting farmers and agricultural lands in the area. In the days preceding his death, farmers in Ramin reported assaults while harvesting, theft of olives and agricultural equipment, and settlers entering agricultural lands and taking olive crops.
Israeli bulldozers uprooting olive trees and levelling agricultural land in Arraba, south of Jenin, September 2026.
September 2026 in numbers
PFU's monthly monitoring report documents, across the West Bank:
- At least 10,754 olive trees uprooted, cut, broken, burned or otherwise damaged
- 3 Palestinians killed and 165 farmers injured
- 78 homes and 27 vehicles burned
- 450 dunums confiscated and 1,355 dunums bulldozed
- 440 sheep stolen and 23 killed
- 7 new settlement outposts
- Approximately USD 6.14 million in estimated losses
In Deir Nidham, northwest of Ramallah, residents watch as olive trees are uprooted by settlers, who then bring their flocks onto the land.
"Farmers who cannot safely reach their land risk losing the harvest even when their trees remain physically intact." Palestinian Farmers Union, September 2026 monitoring report
PFU calls for:
Protective presence during the harvest
Increased international and diplomatic protective presence during the olive harvest, particularly in communities facing heightened risks.
Monitoring and documentation
Systematic monitoring and documentation of incidents affecting farmers, agricultural land, water resources, livestock and productive infrastructure.
Safe access to land
Support to farmers to ensure safe access to their land.
Rapid assistance to affected families
Rapid assistance to families whose agricultural assets have been damaged, destroyed or stolen, and restoration of water and agricultural infrastructure.
Attention to settlement outpost expansion
Sustained international attention to the expansion of settlement outposts and its implications for Palestinian agricultural access and livelihoods.
Priority for the most affected groups
Particular attention should be given to women farmers, small-scale farmers, livestock herders and communities dependent on agriculture as their primary source of income, as the loss of productive assets can have disproportionate and long-term effects on these groups.
ILC stands with PFU and with Palestinian farmers, and calls for international humanitarian law to be respected and upheld.
Download the full report
