Israeli Occupation forces on Friday prevented activists from the “Combatants for Peace” movement from harvesting olives on Al-Qassas family land near the Eliazar settlement, south of Bethlehem.
Movement activists, alongside the landowners, briefly accessed the field before settlement security stormed the area and summoned soldiers and police. Forces compelled everyone to leave under threat of arrest following identity checks.
“We haven’t been able to reach our land since October 7,” said landowner Hiyam Al-Qassas. “Today, we arrived with ‘Combatants for Peace’ activists who came to support us and protect us from settler attacks. They came to lend a helping hand, and we are deeply grateful to them.”
“To us, the olive tree is sacred and blessed,
” Al-Qassas added. “We will not surrender it, nor will we abandon our land, as it is our most precious possession. This tree represents our deep roots in this land.”
Palestine’s olive sector forms the backbone of the agricultural economy and national culture, providing the primary livelihood for roughly 100,000 families.
Official estimates indicate that nearly 285,000 olive trees have been uprooted, destroyed, or burned in the West Bank over the past three years due to settler and occupation attacks, which routinely spike during the harvest season.
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