Full Breakdown
Israeli Bulldozing of Olive Groves Threatens West Bank Harvest
By Drooid · · How we work
Recent Bulldozing Operations
In the weeks leading up to the October olive harvest, Israeli forces carried out a series of demolitions across the occupied West Bank. On 20 September, following the killing of a settler near Deir Nizam, the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported a military order targeting about 99.79 dunams of village land for vegetation removal and tree uprooting. Four days later, a second order covering 94.79 dunams gave landowners only 12 hours to remove the trees themselves.
On 24 September, bulldozers cleared roughly 31 dunams of private land in Beit Rima, destroying more than 400 olive trees. Residents had been notified on 22 September of the impending order and were instructed to act within the same 12-hour window.
The following day, 25 September, Israeli bulldozers began uprooting olive and forest trees in Beit Ur al-Fuqa after a military order targeted 29 dunams, issued two days after a car-ramming attack that injured an Israeli soldier.
Scale of Military Orders and Land Affected
Between the start of the year and September, the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission recorded 55 military orders aimed at trees and vegetation, affecting approximately 2,373 dunams. By contrast, the entire year of 2025 saw 47 orders covering 1,613 dunams. In Deir Nizam alone, residents estimate that about 140 dunams have been cleared so far.
Impact on Livelihood and Agriculture
Olive groves are the primary source of income for many Palestinian families. The destruction of terraces, topsoil, and mature trees threatens not only the current harvest but also future productivity, as newly planted trees can take years to bear fruit. In Kafr Malik, a military order targeting more than 56 dunams similarly called for vegetation removal, compounding concerns as farmers prepare for the season.
Resident Voices
- “What has this lemon tree done to them and their security?” — Saleh Tamimi
- “I have no other source of livelihood besides this land and these olive trees. What use is the land now that the trees have been uprooted?” — Afrah Sanaf, Beit Rima resident Hazem Rimawi, 61
- “What happened left us in a state of shock. It was an act of injustice,” — Afrah Sanaf, Beit Rima resident Hazem Rimawi, 61
- “The damage is not limited to the owners of the bulldozed land; it affects the entire town,” — Nathir
- “The landscape has shifted from green olive groves to expanses stripped of their trees.” — Nathir
Outlook
With the olive harvest traditionally beginning in October, the timing of these orders places farmers under immediate pressure. Residents warn that continued operations could uproot up to 1,500 olive trees, some over 200 years old, potentially reshaping the landscape from “green olive groves” to “expanses stripped of their trees.” The ongoing demolition campaign raises questions about the long-term viability of agriculture in the affected villages.