UN experts warn of growing threats to Palestinian farmers during olive harvest

United Nations experts have warned that Palestinian farmers in the occupied West Bank are facing increasing dangers to their livelihoods, food security and cultural heritage as the annual olive harvest begins.

In a statement issued on Monday, the experts urged Israel to protect farmers and ensure they can safely reach their land. They said violence, destruction and access restrictions have continued to worsen year after year.

“Palestinian farmers must be protected and able to access their land safely. Yet, year after year, the violence, destruction and restrictions intensify,” the experts said.

They added that the harvest should be a period when farmers can earn a living and access food with dignity, instead of facing fear, loss and destruction.

The experts said 178 attacks by Israeli settlers connected to the 2025 olive harvest were recorded across the occupied West Bank. The attacks affected 88 Palestinian towns and villages, the highest number since 2020.

More than 6,000 olive trees and saplings were damaged during the season, nearly twice the number recorded in 2024 and the highest figure in six years.

The experts also raised concerns over Israeli military orders issued in September 2026 for the removal of vegetation from around 339,000 square metres of Palestinian farmland in the northern and central West Bank. The land includes olive groves in Jenin, Qabatiya and Beit Rima.

The orders allow for olive trees to be uprooted and give landowners very limited time to remove vegetation or lodge objections.

According to the experts, the olive harvest provides food, income and employment for thousands of Palestinian families and forms an important part of Palestinian agricultural and cultural traditions.

They said olive trees take years to grow and can support families across generations. Destroying them, they added, affects not just one harvest but also local food systems, cultural practices and the right to food.

The experts also pointed to continued violence, intimidation and restrictions on farmers’ movement. They cited reports of olive groves being uprooted in several areas, including by Israeli military bulldozers near Ramallah shortly before the harvest began.

They warned that conditions could worsen as Israeli authorities increasingly cancel or refuse to issue the permits Palestinians need to enter certain areas. Under a revised policy this year, Palestinians have been barred from obtaining permits or harvesting olives on land Israel classifies as ‘State land’, including plots traditionally used by Palestinian families for generations.

Food security in the occupied West Bank has remained under severe pressure due to rising settler attacks, which have largely displaced Bedouin and herding communities. Israel’s continued withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues has also sharply reduced household incomes.

The experts called on Israel to ensure its forces protect Palestinian farmers from settler violence, stop interfering with their access to land and meet its obligations under international law.

“Israel is under an international legal obligation to end its occupation of Palestinian land, immediately cease new settlement activities, evacuate settlers from the occupied Palestinian territory and provide full reparation for the damage caused by its violations,” the experts said.

They also urged the international community, especially influential states, to increase pressure to protect Palestinian civilians, reverse policies of annexation and ensure accountability for longstanding violations of Palestinian rights.