Full Breakdown
Settler Assault on Olive Harvesters in the West Bank
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Incident
On a recent Wednesday, 44-year-old Palestinian farmer Ali Hassan Yasser al-Bazzari was shot dead while harvesting olives near Burqa, northwest of Nablus. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed his death and reported that 16 other Palestinians were wounded, including a woman taken to hospitals in Tulkarem and Nablus. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) treated five of the injured on site—two with gunshot wounds and three who were beaten. PRCS officials said Israeli forces also assaulted ambulance crews attempting to reach the victims and briefly detained three paramedics and a volunteer. Israeli troops later detained at least three Palestinians and imposed a curfew on Burqa residents.
Background: Escalating Settler Violence Since October 7 2023
The attack occurs amid a broader surge in settler-related violence. According to the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, almost 15,000 settler attacks have been recorded in the occupied West Bank since October 7 2023, resulting in 66 Palestinian deaths. Throughout the current olive-harvest season, settlers have destroyed at least 45,000 olive trees across the West Bank, including the cutting of roughly 50 trees belonging to the Siam family in the village of Mikhmas, northeast of East Jerusalem.
Data and Casualties
- Fatalities: 1 (Ali Hassan Yasser al-Bazzari, 44)
- Injured: 16 reported, with PRCS treating five on the scene
- Gunshot wounds: 2; beatings: 3
- Detentions: 3 paramedics, 1 volunteer, and at least three Palestinians by Israeli forces
- Olive-tree loss: ~45,000 trees destroyed this year; 50 trees cut from the Siam family’s orchard
Official Responses
The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the death and injuries, while the PRCS condemned the assault on its medical teams and highlighted the difficulty of providing care under armed settler attacks. The Israeli military reported detaining several Palestinians and enforcing a curfew in Burqa following the incident. Local news agency Wafa, citing Palestinian sources, documented the broader pattern of settler raids on olive-harvesting communities.
Verbatim Quote
“If you just go to pick your olives now … you could not return from the journey. It could be dangerous, not only because of Israeli restrictions against farmers going to their lands, but also because of the armed Israeli settlers who continue to assault Palestinians,” — Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim