Ramallah:The United Nations Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has issued a call for urgent intervention to safeguard Palestinian farmers following the documentation of at least 160 settler attacks on the West Bank olive harvest within the initial two weeks of October.

According to Saudi Press Agency, these attacks have included the use of live ammunition, arson, the destruction of trees and orchards, and the theft of crops and farm equipment, often occurring with the protection or participation of Israeli forces. Additionally, international journalists and European diplomats have faced targeting in recent days.

Ajith Sunghay, the head of the UN office, emphasized that these attacks on the harvest are being utilized as a means of displacement and dispossession. He highlighted that Israeli restrictions prevent thousands of Palestinian farmers from accessing their land, while settlers are permitted to harvest the crops.

The Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture reports that since October 2023, losses in the olive sector in the West Bank and Gaza have amounted to approximately $157 million. It notes that 90% of Gaza's two million olive trees have been destroyed, along with damage to 286,000 trees in the West Bank as of the end of September.

The UN office has urged countries to take measures to protect Palestinian communities, enhance international and diplomatic presence on the ground, assure farmers' access to their land, provide aid, promote accountability, and halt the expansion of settlements. Additionally, it has called on donors to offer sufficient and adaptable funding for community protection, emergency preparedness, legal aid, food security, and livelihoods.