Journalists Rafaela Cortez and Ricardo Esteves Ribeiro embedded with Palestinians during the 2025 West Bank olive harvest. They witnessed terrible violence and oppression, including the killing of a 13-year-old boy, but also inspiring resistance.
Since the Gaza ceasefire, Israel has intensified its operations against Palestinians in the West Bank, conducting military raids in the north and increasing settler attacks on Palestinians harvesting olive groves.
Israel uprooted 10,000 olive trees in al-Mughayyir during a three-day siege of the West Bank Palestinian village. The Israeli army stated that uprooting the trees was intended to “deter” village residents and make them “pay a heavy price.”
October is around the corner, which means the olive harvest in Palestine will soon be in full swing. But rather than preparing for a time of joy, celebration, and community, Palestinians are gearing up once again to fight for their lives and their land.
Israeli settler violence against Palestinians soared in 2022. Palestinians say the worrying trend will only worsen as right-wing extremists make their home in Israel’s new government.
As part of our monthly poetry series BEIT, Hasheemah Afaneh asks, “For how long will the trees continue to be watered?”
As part of our monthly poetry series BEIT, Mosab Abu Toha reflects on the legacy of the Palestinian harvest.
Musab Nofal is the 197th Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces this year. His death comes amid rising settler attacks in the West Bank and the continuation of Operation Break the Wave.
Widely regarded as the most blessed time of the year, Palestinian families in Gaza wait all year for the olive harvest season.
Yumna Patel speaks with Palestinian farmers working to bring in their olive crop as the harvest season winds down, and captures some of the sounds of the olive harvest.