West Bank Palestinians Allowed Only a Few Days to Harvest Olives Under Israeli Military Oversight
Palestinian families in the occupied West Bank village of al-Mughayyir picked olives on Thursday under the watch of Israeli soldiers, with tear gas fired nearby. The UN has recorded the highest number of settler attacks since its records began in 2006.
In the occupied West Bank village of al-Mughayyir, north-east of Ramallah, Palestinian families gathered olives on Thursday while Israeli soldiers stood guard nearby. It was one of the few days on which they are permitted to harvest their crops. Footage showed troops firing tear gas near the pickers, with smoke drifting through the trees as a boy threw a canister aside.
Restricted access to land
The village is home to around 3,000 people and has some 4,300 hectares of land. Residents say they can reach barely 100 hectares. Getting to the groves requires prior approval from the Israeli military, with access limited to a handful of days, subject to age limits and bans on certain equipment. Villagers say such short visits are not enough to look after trees that need care throughout the year.
Pressure from settler outposts
Al-Mughayyir has come under growing pressure from nearby Israeli settler outposts. Six residents have been killed in 2026, the army has kept its eastern entrance closed for more than two years, and about 12,000 olive trees were uprooted from its eastern plain in 2025.
Across the West Bank, the UN has recorded 377 settler attacks causing casualties or property damage since September, the highest figure since records began in 2006. The incidents left one Palestinian dead, more than 200 injured and 3,850 trees damaged.
The olive harvest is a vital source of income for an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 Palestinian families. Most countries consider Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank illegal under international law.
