Palestine: Targeting West Bank farmers and obstructing their access to land are war crimes

Since the start of the olive harvest season at the beginning of October, settler terrorism and Israeli restrictions against Palestinians have escalated, including physical assault, preventing access to fields, theft of crops, and the uprooting or destruction of trees.

In its statement, the ministry condemned the escalation of attacks by Israel and settlers against Palestinian farmers across the occupied West Bank, noting that the most recent incident involved targeting farmers while they were harvesting olives in the towns of Burqa and Ramin.

It explained that the attack "resulted in the martyrdom of citizen Ali Hassan Yusr al-Bazari (44 years old) and the injury of more than 20 citizens, some of whom sustained serious wounds from live ammunition."

It added that "the assaults today included the use of live fire and physical beatings against farmers, preventing them from reaching their lands during the olive harvest, as well as assaulting ambulance crews while they were attempting to reach and transport the injured, detaining 3 paramedics and a volunteer, seizing the keys to the ambulances, and forcing the crews to leave the scene."

The ministry called on the international community to "compel Israel, as the occupying power, to stop what it described as its crimes, and to hold the perpetrators accountable at all levels, as well as those who provide them with protection or incite the commission of crimes against the Palestinian people."

It also demanded the adoption of "practical and deterrent measures to stop settlement activities and settler attacks, and to ensure the right of Palestinian farmers to access their lands and be protected, leading to the end of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories and its capital, Jerusalem."

A Palestinian was killed and 12 others were injured on Wednesday as a result of attacks carried out by Israeli forces and settlers against olive harvesters in the Nablus and Tulkarm governorates in the northern occupied West Bank, while the attacks affected farmers and Palestinian property in various areas.

This comes in light of Israel tightening its security measures in the Palestinian territories in conjunction with the third anniversary of the genocide in Gaza, as it announced on Sunday the imposition of a comprehensive closure on the crossings of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on October 5 and 7.

Since the start of the genocide in Gaza, attacks by the Israeli army and settler terrorism have intensified in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, leading to the death of 1,210 Palestinians, the injury of 13,350, and the arrest of 26,000.

According to data from the government's Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, settlers have committed more than 14,742 attacks in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October 2023, resulting in the death of 66 Palestinians.

According to the commission, settler terrorism has affected 147,111 trees through destruction, uprooting, burning, and poisoning, including 100,485 olive trees.

Since October 2023, Israel has been committing genocide in Gaza, during which it has killed more than 74,000 Palestinians, injured more than 175,000, and destroyed about 90 percent of the infrastructure.