In brief
Dozens of masked settlers attacked olive harvest crews near Abu Falah, setting fires and gashing 12 people, including four dual Palestinian‑American citizens and a journalist. Witnesses describe nail‑studded sticks, rocks, and burning cars, leaving a farmer blood‑stained and a reporter wounded. The U.S. State Department and the UN condemned the attacks, noting >120 injuries and one death this harvest season. Israeli forces later fired tear gas, sparking a tense standoff and highlighting how illegal settlements are turning the olive harvest into a flash‑point for conflict.
Dozens of masked settlers attacked olive harvesters in a West Bank village, setting fires and gashing 12 people—including four American‑Palestinian dual citizens and a Washington Post reporter. The incident came as seasonal harvesters raced to collect fruit before settlers could strike.
Witnesses say settlers threw rocks, used nail‑studded sticks and even burned cars. A Palestinian farmer named Majdi Fheed was left blood‑stained after a sharp hit to his head.
Both the U.S. State Department and the United Nations condemned the violence. The UN reports over 120 injuries this harvest season, with one death. Israeli forces later moved in, firing tear gas and sparking a tense standoff.
The olive harvest is more than food—it's a flash‑point for the contested West Bank, where illegal settlements increasingly clash with Palestinian farmers over land and rights.
Photo: Masked Israeli settlers surround a blaze amid clashes during the olive harvest in Abu Falah, West Bank.
