Weekly Briefing on Israeli Occupation Violations Against the Agricultural Sector, Based on Documentation from the Ministry of Agriculture Records for the Period 5/2/2026 to 11/2/2026

Escalation of Field Violations

Within the framework of continuous monitoring and documentation carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry’s teams recorded during the past week a noticeable escalation in the pace of Israeli violations against the agricultural sector in the West Bank governorates. These violations included land leveling and demolition of agricultural infrastructure, destruction of water sources, widespread attacks on fruit trees, in addition to settler assaults targeting crops and agricultural property and preventing farmers from accessing their lands.

Total Direct Losses and Targeting of Olive Trees

The total documented direct losses during the aforementioned period amounted to USD 761,593, while the number of olive trees uprooted, broken, or destroyed reached 777 trees, with estimated direct losses of USD 225,100, reflecting the scale of systematic targeting of this blessed tree as an economic pillar and a deeply rooted national and cultural symbol in Palestinian land.

Political Context and Escalation of Land Control Policies

The Ministry affirms that these attacks occur within accelerating policies aimed at undermining the foundations of Palestinian agricultural resilience by draining productive resources and weakening the ability to invest in land, particularly in areas classified as (C), through administrative and legal tools including stop-work and demolition orders, prevention of land reclamation, expansion of so-called “state land,” and legalization of pastoral settlement outposts, thereby reinforcing de facto annexation and reshaping the geographic and demographic map at the expense of Palestinian agricultural presence.

Distribution of Losses by Governorate

Governorate	Loss Value (USD)
Hebron	476,215
Nablus	212,439
Ramallah	42,939
Tulkarm	30,000
Total	761,593

Documented Violations by Governorate

Hebron Governorate

• Uprooting 12 olive trees aged 20 years.
• Uprooting 100 grape seedlings aged 5 years.
• Uprooting 8 almond trees aged 10 years.

 

Bir Shahin (11/2/2026)

• Destruction of grape trellis (T) covering 100 dunums.
• Leveling of an agricultural room (100 m²).
• Demolition of a water pool (70 cubic meters).
• Demolition of a water well (100 cubic meters).
• Destruction of a water pump.
• Preventing farmers from accessing their lands and harvesting citrus fruits.

Beit Ola

• Destruction of 21 complete beehives with their contents.

Bani Na’im

• Leveling of agricultural rooms and retaining walls (165 meters).
• Demolition of water tanks and agricultural facilities.

Halhul and Beit Ummar

• Damage to water tanks.
• Demolition of a collection well with a capacity of 700 cubic meters.

Yatta

• Spraying toxic substances on more than 30 dunums (laboratory samples taken for examination).
• Damaging and cutting more than 150 olive and other fruit trees.
• Uprooting 50 additional olive trees.
• Destruction of 68 dunums planted with wheat and barley.
• Damage to 15 ornamental trees.
• Damage to 40 grape trees.
• Uprooting 50 almond trees.
• Damage to 20 fig seedlings.
• Damage to 12 cactus seedlings.
• Leveling 85 meters of fencing.

Nablus Governorate

Beit Dajan

• Destruction of squash crops on 1 dunum.
• Destruction of a greenhouse covering 1 dunum.
• Confiscation of agricultural equipment and materials.

Beita

• Uprooting 30 olive trees aged 51–99 years.
• Uprooting 3 almond trees aged 11–20 years.
• Uprooting 8 grape trees aged 11–20 years.
• Cutting and breaking 3 citrus and guava trees.

Beit Furik

• Demolition of 4 agricultural rooms (20 m²).
• Demolition of a cement water tank with a capacity of 60 cubic meters.

 

Tulkarm Governorate

Khirbet Jabara

• Uprooting 20 olive trees aged 100 years.

Shufa

• Initiation of demolition of an egg-laying poultry farm housing 3,000 birds.

 

Qalqilya Governorate

 

Arab Al-Khouli – Kafr Thulth

 

• Seizure of an agricultural structure and introduction of cattle into community lands.
• Theft of sheep feeders and creation of a coercive environment aimed at forced displacement.

 

Ramallah Governorate

Abu Shkheidim

• Theft of 100 sheep.

Ras Karkar

• Uprooting 110 olive trees.

Al-Mughayyir

• Grazing of field crops over 15 dunums.
• Breaking of 40 olive trees.

 

Resulting Consequences

Economic

• Direct loss of income sources for hundreds of farming families.
• Loss of long-term investments in perennial trees.
• Continuous depletion of agricultural capital and productive infrastructure.

Social and Livelihood

 

• Deepening poverty and unemployment in rural areas.
• Silent forced migration due to repeated attacks and denial of access.

 

Environmental and Agricultural

• Degradation of vegetation cover and biodiversity.
• Damage to upcoming agricultural seasons due to destruction of water sources.

 

Political and Strategic

• Reinforcement of de facto annexation and emptying land of its owners.
• Reshaping of the agricultural map in targeted areas such as Yatta and the Jordan Valley.

 

Urgent Recommendations

The Ministry of Agriculture renews its urgent appeal to the international community to:

• Pursue legal accountability for perpetrators and classify these acts as war crimes under international law.
• Send independent fact-finding missions, particularly regarding the spraying of toxic substances in Yatta.
• Launch an international media campaign highlighting the targeting of the olive tree as a cultural and economic symbol.
• Invite international media outlets to visit the affected sites.
• Produce documentation materials in foreign languages for presentation in international forums.

What was documented during this week confirms that these violations are not isolated incidents, but rather an organized pattern targeting the economic infrastructure and Palestinian agricultural presence. Protecting the agricultural sector today represents protection of food security, social stability, and the future of development in Palestine.