Gaza war, settler attacks ruin Palestinian olive harvest

AL ZAWAYDA, Palestinian Territories: After a year of relentless war, Gaza’s olive harvest is set to suffer, while in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian farmers fear to tend their groves due to settler attacks. For generations, olive harvests have been central to Palestinian life and culture. Get exclusive content with Gulf News WhatsApp channel “We are happy that the olive season has started but we are afraid because we are in a state of war,” said Rami Abu Asad, who owns a farm in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza. Workers picking the olives by hand stay alert, listening for drones or warplanes that could bomb without warning. “But it is clearly evident (to Israeli forces) that we are workers and we do nothing else,” he said, noting a sweeping Israeli military operation in Jabalia, less than 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the north. Israel has been at war with Hamas in Gaza since the October 7 attacks last year, which resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to ...