RAMALLAH, Palestine / ISTANBUL – In a stark escalation of tensions in the occupied West Bank, illegal Israeli settlers uprooted more than 150 olive trees and set fire to a Palestinian-owned vehicle on Tuesday, marking the latest incidents in a pattern of attacks that have intensified during the olive harvest season. These assaults, reported by the Bedouin rights group Al-Baidar, highlight the ongoing challenges faced by Palestinian communities under occupation, where agricultural livelihoods are systematically targeted.
The primary incident occurred in Bardala village, located in the northern Jordan Valley region of the West Bank. According to Al-Baidar, groups of settlers from nearby illegal outposts descended upon the area, using chainsaws and other tools to cut down and vandalize over 150 olive trees belonging to local farmers. Olive trees, some of which are decades or even centuries old, are not merely crops but perennial assets central to Palestinian heritage and economy. The organization quoted Mohammad Mubaslat, a resident and landowner directly affected, who described the devastation: "These trees are our family's lifeline. They've been here for generations, providing oil, income, and sustenance. The settlers didn't just destroy property; they attacked our way of life."
Mubaslat further emphasized that this was not an isolated event but part of a broader campaign. "During the harvest season, when we're most vulnerable as we collect our yields, these attacks spike," he said. Farmers like Mubaslat rely on the olive harvest, which typically runs from October to November, for up to 70% of their annual income in rural areas. The destruction of such trees can take years to recover from, as new saplings require at least five to seven years to bear fruit. Al-Baidar noted that the settlers fled the scene before Israeli military forces arrived, a common occurrence that raises questions about enforcement and protection for Palestinian civilians.
Simultaneously, in the central West Bank, another act of vandalism unfolded in the town of Beitin, east of Ramallah. Settlers reportedly set ablaze a Palestinian vehicle parked near residential areas. Al-Baidar documented the incident with photographs showing the charred remains of the car, which belonged to a local family. No injuries were reported in this event, but it added to the climate of fear permeating Palestinian villages. Beitin, home to approximately 2,500 residents, has seen repeated incursions, often linked to nearby settlements like Beit El, established in violation of international law.
These attacks are emblematic of a surge in settler violence over the past two years, exacerbated by the broader conflict that erupted following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led assault on Israel and the subsequent Israeli military operations in Gaza. Data compiled by the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission (CWRC), a body under the Palestinian Authority, reveals a grim statistic: illegal Israeli settlers conducted 7,154 assaults on Palestinians and their properties across the occupied West Bank from October 2023 to October 2025. These figures include acts of arson, vandalism, physical assaults, and land seizures.
The human toll has been devastating. The CWRC reports that these assaults directly contributed to the deaths of 34 Palestinians, many in confrontations where settlers were armed and operating under the watch of Israeli forces. Additionally, the violence has led to the forced displacement of 33 Bedouin communities, nomadic or semi-nomadic groups whose traditional grazing lands have been encroached upon by expanding settlements. Bedouins, already marginalized, face unique vulnerabilities; their tent encampments are often demolished under the pretext of "unauthorized structures," leaving families homeless and without means to herd livestock.
Local Palestinian authorities, including the Ministry of Health and the Palestinian Prisoner Society, provide further context on the wider impact of the occupation since the Gaza war began two years ago. More than 1,051 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank during this period, with around 10,300 wounded in clashes, raids, and settler-related incidents. Arrests have skyrocketed, exceeding 20,000, including over 1,600 children detained under administrative measures that allow indefinite holding without charge. Many of these detentions occur during night raids in villages like Bardala and Beitin, where homes are searched and families terrorized.
The olive tree uprootings carry symbolic weight in Palestinian society. Olives are a cornerstone of the economy, contributing an estimated $100-200 million annually to Palestinian GDP through oil production and exports. The West Bank's agricultural sector employs about 15% of the workforce, and attacks during harvest season disrupt not only individual families but entire supply chains. International organizations like the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) have documented over 1,200 similar incidents in 2024 alone, noting that 90% go unprosecuted by Israeli authorities.
This violence unfolds against the backdrop of a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in July 2024. In an advisory opinion requested by the UN General Assembly, the ICJ declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories – including the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza – illegal under international law. The court deemed the settlement policy a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its population into occupied land. The ICJ called for the evacuation of all settlements, home to over 700,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and urged an end to policies amounting to annexation.
The opinion, non-binding but influential, stated that Israel's actions "amount to de facto annexation" and infringe on Palestinians' right to self-determination. It highlighted how settlements fragment Palestinian territory, restrict movement via checkpoints and walls, and control resources like water, with settlers consuming six times more per capita than Palestinians. The ruling has been cited by human rights groups as a call to action for the international community, though implementation remains elusive amid geopolitical divisions.
Israeli officials have dismissed the ICJ opinion, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it "a distorted decision detached from reality." Settlement expansion continues apace; in 2025, Israel approved over 5,000 new housing units in the West Bank, according to Peace Now, an Israeli NGO monitoring such activities. Critics argue that the Israeli military often provides implicit protection to settlers, with soldiers present during attacks but intervening minimally.
From the Palestinian perspective, groups like Al-Baidar and the CWRC accuse Israel of state-backed terrorism. "Settlers act with impunity because the system enables them," said Hassan Mleihat, Al-Baidar's director. International observers, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have labeled these acts as potential war crimes, pointing to a lack of accountability.
The U.S., Israel's key ally, has imposed sanctions on a handful of violent settlers but stopped short of broader measures. In February 2024, President Biden issued an executive order targeting individuals involved in West Bank violence, freezing assets of four settlers. However, broader policy shifts have been limited, with U.S. aid to Israel continuing unabated.
In Turkey, which has been vocal in supporting Palestinian rights, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli condemned the attacks, stating, "These illegal actions undermine peace efforts and violate international norms." Istanbul-hosted conferences on Palestine have amplified such voices, linking West Bank violence to the Gaza crisis, where over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed since 2023, per Gaza's Health Ministry.
Economically, the West Bank's GDP has contracted by 25% since the war began, per World Bank reports, due to movement restrictions and violence. Farmers like Mubaslat now harvest under armed guard from volunteers, but this is unsustainable. Community leaders in Bardala are appealing for international protection, proposing UN observer missions.
As winter approaches, displaced Bedouins face harsh conditions. The 33 displaced communities, totaling thousands, have relocated to urban fringes, straining resources. One elder from a displaced group in the Jordan Valley said, "Our tents are gone, our herds scattered. This is ethnic cleansing by stealth."
Looking ahead, the ICJ opinion could influence upcoming UN resolutions or ICC investigations into occupation-related crimes. Palestine's UN ambassador has pushed for enforcement mechanisms, while EU nations debate sanctioning settlement products.
In Ramallah, protests erupted Tuesday evening, with hundreds marching against settler violence. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas reiterated calls for international intervention, saying, "The world cannot watch silently as our land and lives are stolen."
The incidents in Bardala and Beitin underscore a deepening crisis. With over 500,000 dunams (123,000 acres) of Palestinian land seized for settlements since 1967, per B'Tselem, the fabric of Palestinian society frays further. Mubaslat vows resilience: "We'll plant again, but how many times can we rebuild?"
As global attention remains fixed on Gaza, the West Bank's plight risks being overshadowed, yet it forms a contiguous thread in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Diplomacy stalls, with no active peace talks since 2014. Analysts warn that unchecked violence could spark wider unrest, potentially mirroring past intifadas.
In summary, Tuesday's assaults are microcosms of systemic issues: illegal settlements, impunity, and economic strangulation. The ICJ's declaration offers legal clarity, but on the ground, olive groves smolder, cars burn, and families endure. Until accountability prevails, the cycle persists, eroding hopes for a just resolution.
