Israeli bulldozers uproot West Bank olive trees ahead of harvest season
Israeli bulldozers destroyed scores of olive trees in Palestinian villages near Jenin on Wednesday, as part of an ongoing campaign of uprooting olive groves across the occupied West Bank.
The latest operation targeted farmland in the villages of Ajjah and Zububa, near the separation barrier, weeks before Palestinian farmers were due to begin this year's olive harvest.
Zaki Jaradat, head of Zububa Village Council, said Israeli forces have uprooted more than 2,950 olive trees across more than 300 dunams of agricultural land since the start of the year.
Among those affected is Fuad Yahya Maqalda, whose family has cultivated olive trees on the land for generations.
From the rooftop of his home overlooking the family's land, Maqalda watched Israeli bulldozers move through the olive groves, uprooting trees that had stood for generations.
Unable to reach the site, he could only watch as the destruction unfolded below.
"We are unable to do anything," he told Middle East Eye. "We cannot understand the intentions behind this uprooting.
“The occupation uprooted olive trees that have stood on our land since the time of our grandparents."
'The occupation uprooted olive trees that have stood on our land since the time of our grandparents'
- Fuad Yahya Maqalda, Palestinian farmer
The timing, he said, made the loss even more painful, with the harvest season only weeks away.
“Just as the olive harvest season is approaching, three plots of land that have belonged to our family for generations were targeted. They uprooted 111 olive trees from one plot and another 215 from a second. Every single one of those trees has been removed.”
Tareq Ighbariya, spokesperson for the Palestinian Commission Against the Wall and Settlements in Jenin, said the destruction often extends beyond the areas specified in Israeli military orders, with the damage on the ground exceeding official boundaries.
“Military orders may specify a certain area for tree uprooting or land clearing, but when they are carried out, the affected area is often much larger,” Ighbariya told MEE.
“In some cases, bulldozers enter agricultural land and begin clearing it without any prior military order.”
Olive harvest under attack
The destruction in Zububa is not an isolated incident.
Ighbariya said similar operations have targeted agricultural land elsewhere in the Jenin governorate, where the commission has documented damage to around 300 dunams of farmland in recent months.
He warned that the true extent of the destruction may be higher as assessments continue.
The olive harvest is one of the most important agricultural seasons for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, providing a vital source of income for thousands of families.
Beyond its economic importance, the harvest is deeply tied to Palestinian cultural and social life, with many olive groves passed down through generations.
The uprooting of trees in Zububa comes as farmers across the occupied West Bank report increasing restrictions and attacks during the olive harvest season, including settler violence, vandalism, crop theft and difficulties accessing farmland, particularly near Israeli settlements and military zones.
For many communities, the harvest has become a period of both economic importance and heightened uncertainty, with families fearing they may lose access to their land or face attacks while collecting their crops.