Israeli bulldozers uproot Palestinian olive groves near Ramallah in occupied West Bank

Israeli bulldozers have uprooted olive groves near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to residents and Palestinian officials, in an incident that began on Monday and continued into Tuesday. The destruction took place in the village of Deir Nidham, where farmers said the work came just weeks before the annual olive harvest. Residents said the bulldozing affected land owned by Palestinian families and also damaged vegetation near homes.

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A Palestinian farmer and landowner, Abd Alfattah Tamimi, said the bulldozers destroyed olive trees planted on his family's land as well as on neighbouring plots. Another farmer, Nather Tamimi, said the timing appeared designed to cause maximum damage before the harvest season, which traditionally begins in October. He said his family produced about 120 drums of olive oil from the land each year.

He also said trees were uprooted from areas between houses, widening the impact beyond the groves themselves. The Israeli military had not responded by Wednesday evening to a request for comment, according to the report. In the past, Israeli authorities have said clearing land of olive trees can be necessary to prevent security threats or ambushes on troops.

Palestinian human rights groups reject that explanation, saying the destruction deprives farmers of income from olives and olive oil and removes trees that many Palestinians regard as a symbol of their connection to the land. The Palestinian Authority's Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said attacks on agricultural land in August affected 21,508 trees, including 19,375 olive trees. The incident comes at a sensitive time for Palestinian agriculture because the olive harvest is a major source of income for many families in the West Bank.

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Olive oil production is also closely tied to land ownership and rural livelihoods, making damage to groves economically significant as well as politically charged. The timing, just before harvest, increases the immediate financial impact on farmers who depend on the season's yield. Deir Nidham is near Ramallah, one of the main urban centres in the occupied West Bank, where land access and agricultural activity are often affected by wider tensions.

The Palestinian Authority commission said this year's olive production was estimated at 21,000 tonnes, compared with local demand of about 15,000 tonnes. That gap underlines the importance of the harvest for both household income and local supply, even as access to land remains contested. What remains unclear is the full extent of the damage and whether the bulldozing will continue in the area.

It is also not clear whether the military will issue a formal explanation or whether any local or international response will follow. The key issue to watch is whether the incident becomes part of a broader pattern of land clearance and agricultural disruption in the West Bank during the harvest period.

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