UN Experts Ask Israel to Protect West Bank Olive Farmers From Settler Violence

United Nations rights experts are asking Israel to protect Palestinian farmers in the West Bank as settler attacks increase during the yearly olive harvest.

Harvest Risks

The experts state that Palestinian farmers must be able to reach their land safely and that the yearly violence, property destruction, and movement restrictions only get worse over time. They want Israeli forces to stop interfering with land access and to protect farmers from attacks by settlers, while also asking the global community to apply maximum pressure to keep Palestinian civilians safe.

Background

Israel has controlled the West Bank since 1967, and about 500,000 Israelis now live there alongside three million Palestinians. Violence in the region is rising ahead of Israel's October 27 elections, a vote happening at the same time as the olive harvest. The UN humanitarian agency OCHA recorded 178 settler attacks during the 2025 harvest across 88 Palestinian communities, with more than 6,000 trees and saplings vandalised. That figure is nearly double the number from 2024 and marks the highest total in six years.

Context

The annual olive harvest is a vital source of income, food, and tradition for thousands of Palestinian families, and destroying the trees harms local food systems and ways of life for generations. The statement was issued by seven independent experts mandated by the Human Rights Council, including special rapporteur on the right to food Sofia Monsalve Suarez and special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese.