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.

Ahmed Abu Alreish is 93 years old and I joined him to harvest olives from his land. I returned home with a bottle of olive oil which carries some of Ahmed’s stories about Palestine. That night, I assembled my siblings under the olive tree beneath my window, and I poured everything I heard from Ahmed into their ears. 

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank town of Beita have been struggling to access their land for the olive harvest due to the Israeli military’s continued occupation of Jabal Sabih. “No matter what, we will not leave this land,” Beita resident Ammar Hamayel tells Mondoweiss. “We grew up here, we learned here what it means to be Palestinian and what the land means to us. I will not leave here until my soul leaves my body.”

The olive harvest in Gaza was down by 65% this year, leaving many farmers without enough crop to sell. Experts say this dip was due to rising temperatures from climate change.