35% of the Olive-Growing Land in Bethlehem Governorate is Closed Areas

Bethlehem - Afaq News - Hassan Abdul Jawad - The local committee for the Olive Picking Campaign for the 2026 season in Bethlehem Governorate has called on olive farmers to form local committees in every town and village, headed by local authorities, with the membership of community organizations, institutions, and national forces. They are also urged to adhere to the directives and instructions of the Ministry of Agriculture, aiming to organize and coordinate local and national efforts during the picking season, ensure timely support and assistance for farmers, and enhance protection for farmers in the most vulnerable areas to attacks.

The General Director of Agriculture in Bethlehem Governorate, Engineer Abdul Wahab Al-Halaika, stated to "Al-Ayyam" that the national olive picking campaign has adopted a decentralized approach for this year, organizing its activities by forming local committees in every village, town, and city, headed by local authorities and including community organizations and activities. This aims to enhance protection for farmers, respond quickly to incidents and urgent needs during the season, and raise the level of coordination between local committees and official, security, and partner institutions.

He pointed out the increasing frequency of repeated attacks and assaults by settlers under the protection of occupation forces in many villages, towns, and cities of Bethlehem Governorate, particularly in the villages and towns of Kisan, Al-Rashayda, Tuqu', Al-Minya, Abu Njeim, Khillat Al-Nahla, Khala'il Al-Lawz, Jorat Al-Sham'a, Beit Fajjar, the city of Beit Jala, Al-Walaja, Battir, Husan, Nahhalin, Al-Jab'a, and Wadi Fukin. This requires more joint efforts and activities to save the olive season and provide support and protection for farmers.

Al-Halaika explained that these assaults have resulted in the uprooting of 1,776 olive trees and caused damage to more than 61 farmers in the villages and towns that were attacked by settlers, noting that more than 35% of the land planted with olives (9,000 dunams) has become inaccessible, and olive farmers cannot reach it due to the occupation's measures and repeated assaults by settlers.

Engineer Hussein Sobeh, the Director of Guidance at the Bethlehem Agriculture Directorate, stated that the total area planted with olives in Bethlehem Governorate is 32,833 dunams, including 4,459 dunams that are non-productive. The total number of olive trees in the governorate is 656,660, while it is expected to produce 3,404 tons of olives this season and 644 tons of olive oil, whereas the governorate consumes 875 tons of olive oil annually.

Engineer Sobhi called for the necessity of olive farmers in the Bethlehem Governorate to adhere to the directives of the Ministry of Agriculture regarding the timing of olive harvesting, and for broader participation from the campaign's activities to enhance and support the steadfastness of farmers, emphasizing that the ministry has provided dozens of farmers this season with ladders, harvesters, and mats to assist them in olive picking.