Israeli settlers steal Palestinians' olives as attacks on harvest grow more violent

AI Summary

Palestinians and rights groups say Israeli settlers have increasingly used violence and theft to disrupt the olive harvest in the occupied West Bank. Palestinian farmer Ahmed Salem described settlers damaging his trees and taking olives, and said he feared being attacked if he intervened.

By Pesha Magid and Lina Obeid LUBBAN AL-GHARBI, West Bank, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Brought to tears as he recalled Israeli settlers hitting his cherished olive trees with sticks and taking off with the olives, Palestinian Ahmed Salem said he feared being attacked if he tried to intervene. Settlers have intimidated Palestinians harvesting their olives in the occupied West Bank for decades, but this year, not only has violence increased sharply, theft has been widespread, according to Palestinians, Israeli rights groups and the UN.