Wed Dec 03 08:30:20 UTC 2025: Palestinian Olive Harvest Devastated by Settler Violence and Military Orders
Deir Ammar, Occupied West Bank – For generations, the Othman and Badaha families of Deir Ammar have cultivated olive groves in the hills surrounding their village. This year, however, their ancestral tradition has been disrupted by escalating Israeli settler violence and restrictive military orders, leaving vast swaths of olive trees unharvested and the community struggling for its livelihood.
Families report being barred from their land by armed settlers and 24-hour closed military zone orders enforced by the Israeli army. Farmers like Yousef Dar al-Musa, 67, have been physically assaulted by settlers while attempting to access their groves.
The situation has had a devastating impact on Deir Ammar’s economy. With roughly 80% of the village’s olive trees left unpicked, the local olive press, usually bustling during harvest season, stands eerily silent. Villagers who previously earned income selling olive oil at markets find themselves without resources.
Locals accuse Israeli settlers of seizing over 700 hectares of land around Deir Ammar with the support of the Israeli military, building illegal settlements and outposts. The expansion of these settlements and infrastructure has led to a surge in attacks on Palestinian farmers.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented 167 olive harvest-related settler attacks between October 1 and November 10, but that number is believed to be undercounted.
Activists and legal organizations are petitioning the Israeli Supreme Court, accusing the army of misusing closed military zone orders to impede the Palestinian olive harvest. Some report orders are issued at the moment farmers try to access their lands.
Ghassan Najjar, an activist and agricultural cooperative leader from Burin, states that about half of Burin’s groves are inaccessible due to settler violence and closed military zone orders.
The severely limited rainfall is making the situation worse. This year’s olive oil production is estimated to reach only 7,000 to 8,000 tonnes, a fraction of the annual average. As a result, olive oil prices have skyrocketed, affecting the core of the Palestinian diet.
The inability to harvest olives is not just an economic loss; it also erodes the social fabric of Palestinian society. The olive harvest is a time for family unity and community cohesion. The absence of this year’s harvest has left families feeling isolated.
With their livelihood threatened and their traditions disrupted, the people of Deir Ammar fear for their future. “What is a Palestinian without olives? What is a fellah [farmer] without his land?” asks Ismail Othman. “Nothing. Nothing. The land is our past, our present, our future.”
First Piper 