Full Breakdown
Palestinian Farmers Petition Israeli High Court Over Land Access Restrictions
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Petition to Restore Access Around Nahalin
Six Palestinian farmers, represented by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), filed a petition with the High Court of Justice seeking an urgent hearing to restore access to olive groves, vineyards, fruit trees and seasonal crops surrounding the town of Nahalin, southwest of Bethlehem. The petition, dated a Wednesday in 2026, alleges that Israeli soldiers and settlers have blocked or severely limited entry to the land since October 2023, without presenting any legal order authorizing the restrictions.
Background & Context: Years of Restrictions and Legal Framework
The farmers contend that the lack of a disclosed closure order violates the High Court’s 2006 Morar ruling, which held that keeping Palestinian farmers off their land for protection was disproportionate and that any emergency closures must be narrowly limited in time. ACRI argues that the continued restrictions, persisting for years, exceed the scope of the ruling’s emergency powers. The petition also notes that the Israeli Civil Administration and the Israel Police’s Judea and Samaria District have received four written approaches between October 2025 and August 2026 without response.
Data & Statistics: Incidents and Timeline
- Six farmers are the petitioners.
- May 25, 2026 – Israeli security forces guarded while bulldozers demolished a Palestinian home in Nahalin.
- June 23, 2026 – Settlers allegedly drove sheep into an olive grove, damaging trees; police did not arrive.
- September 14, 2025 – During a site visit with the farmers’ lawyer, soldiers claimed a closure order existed but did not produce it.
- The land includes olive groves, vineyards, fruit trees and seasonal crops, some owned for roughly 50 years and others leased from the Muslim religious trust Wakf.
Official Statements & Responses
ACRI attorney Reut Shaer stated that the state and the army are obligated to protect Palestinian residents, their property and livelihoods, and that the prolonged absence of a disclosed order cannot justify ongoing restrictions. The petition targets the West Bank IDF commander, the head of the Civil Administration, and the commander of the Israel Police’s Judea and Samaria District, but the filing reports no official response to the allegations.
What’s Next: Request for an Urgent Hearing
The petition asks the High Court to schedule an urgent hearing before the upcoming olive harvest, emphasizing that the fourth consecutive restricted harvest threatens both income and the long-term viability of the cultivated land.