Israeli Settler Violence and Restrictions Impose $10 Million Loss on Palestinian Farmers

GENEVA: United Nations experts have issued a warning about the severe financial and security impacts faced by Palestinian farmers due to violent attacks by Israeli settlers and restrictive measures by Israeli forces in the West Bank. The cumulative losses for these farmers have been estimated at approximately $10 million. According to Kuwait News Agency, the report was released following assessments by a group of U.N. experts, including the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Michael Fakhri, and the UN Special Rapporteur on Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation, Pedro Arrojo Agudo. The experts emphasized the significant threat these incidents pose to the food security and self-determination rights of Palestinian families. The statement detailed that in 2023, Palestinian communities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, experienced unprecedented levels of violence from Israeli settlers. This violence ranged from physical assaults to the destruction of property and crops. Over 9,600 hectares of land , primarily used for olive cultivation, were left unharvested due to access restrictions enforced by Israeli security forces. This resulted in a critical loss of approximately 1,200 metric tons of olive oil, a key agricultural product for the region. The situation has been exacerbated by the Israeli authorities' increasing revocation of permits allowing farmers to access their lands and the closure of crucial checkpoints. These actions have placed the annual olive harvest, vital for many Palestinian families' livelihoods, under significant jeopardy. The U.N. experts have called for immediate international intervention to halt these violent practices and ensure that Palestinian farmers can safely access their lands and maintain their agricultural activities. Protecting these rights is essential not only for the livelihood of the farmers but also for the maintenance of peace and security in the region.