Settlers attack a citizen in Rafat, and the army prevents farmers from picking olives in Zawiya

Salfit - Ofoq News - Citizen Ismail Musa Abu Asba suffered bruises and wounds today, Saturday, after settlers severely beat him while he was on his land picking olives in the village of Rafat, west of Salfit, while the Israeli occupation forces prevented farmers from continuing to pick olives in the town of Al-Zawiya.

Citizens reported that a group of settlers attacked Abu Asba while he was picking olives on his land, and beat him, causing him to suffer bruises and wounds. He was transferred to a medical center to receive treatment.

The same source added that the settlers seized the amount of olives that he had picked, before they left the place.

In Rafat, the occupation forces stormed the village at dawn today, raided and searched a number of citizens’ homes, causing damage and destruction to some of them, before arresting Khaled Sharif Ayyash, his son Muhammad, and Ihab Shaalan Al-Deek, and taking them to an unknown destination.

In the town of Al-Zawiya, the occupation forces forced farmers to leave their lands while they were picking olives in the Al-Mantar area, and prevented them from continuing to work.

Farmers said that the occupation forces expelled them from a land of about 50 dunums, owned by the family of Jamal Muhammad Abdel Qader, during the olive harvest season.

These attacks and measures come with the olive harvest season in Salfit Governorate, as farmers are exposed to settler attacks and restrictions imposed by the occupation forces, hindering their access to their lands and threatening their ability to harvest their crops.