Israeli settlers attack Palestinians in West Bank during olive harvest
The BBC reports that Israeli settlers have intensified attacks on Palestinians during the olive harvest in the West Bank. The UN notes that violence levels have reached an all-time high this season.
Why it matters
The escalation of settler violence during a critical economic period for Palestinians highlights the deteriorating security situation in the occupied territories.
Israeli settlers attack Palestinians in West Bank during olive harvest Close The BBC has witnessed Israeli settlers attack Palestinians and set fire to olive trees in the occupied West Bank.
About a dozen settlers dressed in black charged down a hill near an outpost – illegal under international law - to a field where Palestinians and activists were harvesting olives. They torched about a dozen trees and hurled stones from slingshots.
Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine, who was at the scene, was taken to hospital where she told reporters she "got jumped" and described being kicked on the ground.
The UN says the past two weeks have already seen more attacks by violent Israeli settlers than during the entire harvest season last year. It says this year levels of settler violence have reached an all-time high.
The BBC's Middle East Correspondent Lucy Williamson reports.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in