Israeli occupation forces Friday assaulted farmers picking olives in the Salem village, east of the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, according to local sources.
They said that the occupation forces fired volleys of tear gas canisters towards the farmers while the latter were picking olives in the village, causing several farmers to suffocate from excessive tear gas inhalation and setting a tract of olive groves on fire.
The farmers eventually managed to put out the fire.
With more than 12 million olive trees planted across 45% of the West Bank’s agricultural land, the olive harvest constitutes one of the biggest sources of economic sustainability for thousands of Palestinian families.
According to UN OCHA, the olive oil industry supports the livelihoods of more than 100,000 families and accounts for a quarter of the gross agricultural income of the occupied territories.
But, as local NGO MIFTAH notes, ‘olive trees carry more than an economic significance in the lives of Palestinians. They are not just
like any other trees, they are symbolic of Palestinians’ attachment to their land. Because the trees are drought-resistant and grow under poor soil conditions, they represent Palestinian resistance and resilience. The fact that olive trees live and bear fruit for thousands of years is parallel to Palestinian history and continuity on the land.’
Source : Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA