Photos document olive harvest in the West Bank amidst concerns of increased violence from Israeli settlers

TURMUS AYYA, West Bank The recent olive harvest has concluded across the West Bank, yet a climate of fear continues to affect many Palestinian communities. Residents remain vigilant against potential attacks by armed Israeli settlers.

In Turmus Ayya, locals report almost daily incidents involving settlers over recent months. One particularly violent event involved a Palestinian grandmother who was struck unconscious with a spiked club. Such episodes of aggression extend throughout the West Bank, intensifying concerns among villagers.

During last months harvest period, settlers carried out an average of eight assaults each daythe highest recorded frequency since the United Nations began tracking these incidents in 2006. The attacks included vehicle arson, vandalism of mosques, looting of industrial sites, and destruction of farmland.

Israeli authorities have largely limited their response to occasional public condemnations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has characterized the perpetrators as a small minority, not representative of the broader settler population in the West Bank. Nevertheless, the ongoing establishment of new outposts, often with little legal accountability, alongside repeated violent incidents, has created an enduring atmosphere of intimidation for Palestinian residents.

This photo collection has been prepared by Associated Press photo editors.

Author: Sophia Brooks