Three olive harvesters injured in settler attack near Salfit

SALFIT, West Bank — Three olive harvesters were injured on Monday evening in an attack by Israeli settlers in the al-Minqa' area, west of Farkha, southwest of Salfit, according to local sources cited by the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

According to WAFA, the settlers chased the farmers' vehicle after they had finished picking olives. The settlers pelted the vehicle with stones, causing it to overturn. The three people inside, including a woman, were injured. WAFA did not report the severity of their injuries.

The report did not include a response from Israeli authorities. It was not possible to confirm the account independently from the sources provided.

A Quds News Network post on Telegram, which is unverified, gave a different location and name. The post said a Palestinian farmer, Musa al-Sharafa, suffered severe bruising in an attack by settlers while harvesting olives in Beita. The post did not say whether the two incidents are linked. No news outlet or official statement has confirmed the Telegram account.

WAFA also said that attacks by settlers on Palestinians and their property are routine in the West Bank and are rarely prosecuted by Israeli authorities. This claim was made by WAFA and was not attributed to an official source in the report.

Background

Settler violence has been reported across the West Bank during the olive harvest, which is an annual season for many Palestinian farming families. According to WAFA, settler violence includes arson of property and mosques, stone-throwing, uprooting of crops and olive trees, and attacks on homes.

WAFA also said that about 1 million Israeli settlers live in settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israeli settlements in these areas are considered by most of the international community to violate international law.