Israeli colonists steal olive harvest and equipment in Kafr al-Dik

SALFIT: Israeli colonists stole olives and harvesting equipment today from a Palestinian farmer in the village of Kafr al-Dik, located in the West Bank province of Salfit. Feras al-Dik, the owner, reported that the colonists targeted his land in the Khallet al-Haramiyah area, on the outskirts of the village, taking not only the olives but also olive-picking tools and a generator, while preventing him from accessing his property. Al-Dik expressed that the losses from this incident could reach up to 70 tins of olive oil. He noted that such systematic attacks are a regular occurrence from colonists of the Eli Zahav settlement, who obstruct farmers from accessing their lands, herding sheep, and harvesting olives, as well as uprooting and damaging olive trees. During the olive harvest season, incidents of violence and theft by Israeli colonists, often shielded by Israeli military forces, have become increasingly common. Palestinian farmers face ongoing obstacles and abusive practices that impede their access t o their fields, resulting in significant financial losses and exacerbating their daily hardships under occupation. Current estimates indicate that farmers may be unable to access around 80,000 dunums of olive-grove land due to threats from colonists and military presence, which could lead to a loss of approximately 15% of this year's olive harvest. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA