West Asia

Israeli attacks have killed a Palestinian in the Gaza Strip and targeted areas across the besieged territory, as Israeli settlers escalated their assaults on Palestinian farmers and harvesters in the occupied West Bank.

An Israeli drone struck a gathering of residents in al-Tuffah, northeast of Gaza, on Saturday morning, killing a Palestinian man and wounding dozens more.

Israeli military vehicles also resumed heavy gunfire south of Khan Younis, while artillery shelling targeted areas east of Gaza.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023, more than 75,000 Palestinians have been killed. A survey by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR) reported that thousands more dead bodies are thought to be under the rubble of destroyed buildings.

According to the report, the number of injured is greater than 100,000. United Nations agencies also reported that Gaza is now home to the highest number of child amputees in the world.

In the occupied West Bank, three Palestinians were injured on Saturday in an Israeli settler attack in Masafer Yatta, south of the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. One of the victims was shot in the thigh, and two suffered exposure to pepper spray.

In Beit Furik, east of Nablus, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers, threw harvested olives on the ground and blocked the olive picking in the eastern part of town. Local reports say a settler wearing an Israeli army uniform obstructed the harvest.

In Deir Jarir, northeast of Ramallah, settlers attacked harvesters and accompanying activists in al-Hara’iq, fired live ammunition to intimidate them and forced them off their land.

Three Palestinians were also injured in a settler attack on residents heading to agricultural land in Abu Falah, north of Ramallah. The attack took place in full view of Israeli forces.

During the attacks, Palestinians used stones to defend themselves against the settlers who were armed with slingshots and batons. Israeli forces also fired tear gas at harvesters, trying to force them to leave.

In June, 14 UN experts warned that the sharp rise in violence backed by Israel poses an existential threat to the Palestinians. stating “settler brutality has reached unprecedented levels this year” and “violence is used as a calculated, targeted tool to deny Palestinians access to essential services, agricultural and grazing areas, with the ultimate aim of severing the people’s connection to the land.”

The Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission recorded 34 settler attacks on farmers, land and crops just between Friday morning and Friday evening. Widespread attacks were reported in numerous parts of the West Bank amid escalating harassment of farmers throughout the olive harvest season.

During the olive harvest season, Palestinians experience more Israeli brutality and hatred in the region. The olive tree is an important Palestinian cultural symbol, and olive farming is a major industry in the West Bank.

Israeli settlers have a history of burning olive trees, uprooting them, and attacking farmers during this period.