More than 15 violent incidents, in which far-right activists attacked Palestinians who had come to harvest, were reported in the West Bank over the last week, which were related to the olive harvest, according to data obtained by Walla.
Officials in the Central Command warned this week that the growing violence between settlers and Palestinians could lead to a broader escalation, including specific alerts that could accumulate into a wider flare-up.
At the same time, the command acknowledged that, despite the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, it currently lacks the resources to secure all harvest sites.
IDF investigating incident of settler violence
Further, the IDF has continued to investigate a serious incident that occurred on Sunday near the village of Mughayir in the Ramallah area, during which masked settlers attacked Palestinian farmers who had arrived to harvest olives.
In a video circulated online, one masked individual is seen striking a Palestinian woman in her 50s on the head with a wooden stick. The woman collapsed, and according to reports in Arab media, she was wounded and bleeding.
Later, reports were received of property damage in the area. Security sources noted that as early as August, thousands of olive trees were reported uprooted in the same region in response to the killing of an Israeli teenager.
Command officials are attempting to analyze the situation amid these warnings and refine the deployment of IDF, Border Police, and police forces in the West Bank to prevent further incidents.
“Areas that were complex and required protection have completed the harvest safely,” a military source said.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit added that “the IDF operates routinely throughout the West Bank, both defensively and offensively. At the same time, it acts in a coordinated and secure manner to enable the olive harvest season.”