Israeli bulldozers destroyed scores of olive trees in Palestinian villages near Jenin on Wednesday, uprooting more than 2,950 trees across farmland weeks before families were due to begin this year's harvest. The operation targeted the villages of Ajjah and Zububa, near the separation barrier, where generations of Palestinian farmers have cultivated olive groves that provide both income and cultural continuity.
Fuad Yahya Maqalda watched from his rooftop as bulldozers moved through his family's land, removing trees that had stood since his grandparents' time. "We are unable to do anything," he said. "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." Maqalda said three family plots were targeted just as the harvest season approached. "They uprooted 111 olive trees from one plot and another 215 from a second. Every single one of those trees has been removed."
Zaki Jaradat, head of Zububa Village Council, said Israeli forces had uprooted more than 2,950 olive trees across more than 300 dunams of agricultural land since the start of the year. The destruction comes at a moment when the olive harvest — one of the most important agricultural seasons for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank — is about to begin. For thousands of families, the harvest provides a vital source of income. Beyond economics, it's deeply tied to Palestinian cultural and social life, with many olive groves passed down through generations.
Destruction Beyond Official Orders
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. "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," he said. "In some cases, bulldozers enter agricultural land and begin clearing it without any prior military order."
Ighbariya said similar operations had targeted agricultural land elsewhere in the Jenin governorate, where the commission had 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 uprooting in Zububa is part of a broader pattern farmers across the occupied West Bank report during the olive harvest season: increasing restrictions and attacks, 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.
A Rare Indictment
In a separate development highlighting the gap between settler violence and accountability, Israeli authorities on Thursday charged Israeli settler activist Yinon Levi with reckless homicide in the fatal shooting of Palestinian Awdah Hathleen in the West Bank one year ago. Haaretz said Levi was charged with reckless homicide for the killing of Umm al-Kheir resident Awdah Hathaleen. The indictment also charged Levi with armed trespassing and malicious property damage.
Haaretz said it was extremely rare for Israel to charge settlers with violence against Palestinians. The charges against Levi marked the first time since Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack — now approaching its third anniversary — that an Israeli had been indicted for the death of a Palestinian in the West Bank. The Israeli rights group B'Tselem said that in that time, Israeli settlers and soldiers had killed at least 1,100 Palestinians in the territory. Haaretz also said an Israeli rights group found that only three percent of cases opened over Israelis' violence against Palestinians led to conviction.
Why This Matters:
The destruction of olive trees weeks before harvest season isn't just an economic blow to Palestinian farmers — it's part of a pattern of land control that makes daily life under occupation increasingly precarious. When bulldozers uproot trees that have stood for generations, they remove not only a source of income but a connection to the land itself. The olive harvest is a cultural anchor for Palestinian communities, and its disruption compounds the effects of settlement expansion, restricted movement, and settler violence that farmers report year after year. The rare indictment of an Israeli settler for killing a Palestinian underscores how exceptional accountability is: one indictment since October 7, 2023, while at least 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, and only three percent of violence cases lead to conviction. This gap between violence and justice is a structural feature of occupation, and it shapes the reality farmers face as they prepare for harvest — uncertain whether they'll reach their land, collect their crops, or face attack without recourse.