Israeli Settlers Launch 19 Attacks on West Bank Olive Harvest

Israeli settlers launched at least 19 attacks against Palestinians across the occupied West Bank on October 9, 2026, specifically targeting the annual olive harvest. The Palestinian Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission reported that the violence included the uprooting of over 50 olive trees in Qusra, the burning of vehicles in Tell, and the theft of livestock in Ein Qiniya. In Birin, settlers set dogs on farmers, injuring an elderly woman, while in Yabrud, settlers assaulted a man and stole his vehicle and child.

Reports indicate that Israeli security forces provided protection to colonists during thefts in Deir al-Sudan and backed a pogrom involving live ammunition in Deir Ballut. Simultaneously, Israeli forces conducted raids across the territory, detaining 16 Palestinians, including Ibrahimi Mosque Director Moataz Abu Sneineh and official Hammam Abu Markhiya in Hebron.

Beyond the harvest attacks, settlers targeted local businesses. In Luban al-Sharqiya, settlers planted Israeli flags to obscure the Luban al-Sharqiya Coffee Shop and Rest Area, with the owner reporting threats to shut down the business. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed such violence as the work of juvenile delinquents, while other officials and the UN link the surge in settler violence to a permissive environment of impunity.