Israeli military uproots olive trees near Ramallah ahead of harvest

Ramallah, Palestine. Palestinian farmers near the city said Israeli military bulldozers uprooted their olive trees on Wednesday, days before the annual harvest. Villagers lamented the destruction of the trees in the occupied West Bank, where the harvest is normally a time of celebration.

Farmers report widespread losses

Abd Alfattah Tamimi watched a military bulldozer smash the top of a tree in his grove before pulling out its roots. He said all his trees, including newly planted ones, and those of his neighbours had been uprooted. Together, he said, they own nearly nine acres planted with olive trees.

Israel’s military said it was checking a Reuters request for comment but had not responded by Wednesday evening. In the past, the military has cited the need to clear olive trees to prevent security threats or ambushes on troops.

Palestinian human rights groups reject that justification. They say the destruction deprives farmers of income from olives and olive oil and removes trees they regard as a symbol of their connection to the land.

Harvest approaches

The olive harvest usually begins in the first week of October. Olives are central to Palestinian agriculture, a sector that accounts for around 8% of GDP and more than 60,000 jobs, according to the Palestinian Authority’s agriculture ministry.

Palestinian activists and farmers expect this year’s harvest to be particularly volatile amid a record surge in Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians and Palestinian resources in the territory.

Nather Tamimi, another landowner in the Deir Nizam area near Ramallah, said the loss was particularly painful so close to the harvest. He said he and his brothers produce 120 drums of olive oil from their land, while their neighbours produce the same amount.