Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinian Olive Harvesters Across West Bank on October 3, 30 Killed by Settlers in 2026

Israeli settlers under Israeli army protection attacked olive pickers, burned olive trees and detained dozens of people in the occupied West Bank on October 3, 2026, according to Al Jazeera, the Times of Israel and Palestinian media. In the village of Osarin in Nablus, settlers fired tear gas at Palestinians and journalists, attacked homes, stoned vehicles and assaulted several villagers, the Palestinian news agency Wafa said. Al Jazeera footage captured settlers smashing a Palestinian vehicle in Osarin while other videos showed armed settlers attacking a Palestinian home in Beita. The IDF said troops were dispatched to Osarin following reports of attacks but that the rioters had fled before soldiers arrived, and strongly condemned the incidents.

Palestinian authorities said 30 Palestinians have been killed by settlers since the start of 2026, more than in any year since 2022, according to Al Jazeera and the Middle East Monitor citing the Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission. The commission said the 2026 toll, with the year still ongoing, is already more than double the total for all of 2025, an increase of around 114 percent. The deaths were concentrated in the Ramallah and Al-Bireh and Nablus provinces, accounting for around 73 percent of the total.

The October 3 attacks coincide with the start of the olive harvest season, a flashpoint for settler violence as Palestinian farmers attempt to access groves near settlements. Palestinian farmers face restricted access to their land during harvest, risking physical assault, property destruction and detention, though the extent to which military enforcement deters such violence remains uncertain given the pattern of attacks under military protection and the sharp rise in settler-inflicted deaths in 2026.

Sources

Al Jazeera, "Israeli settlers attack farmers in West Bank pogrom, soldiers hit reporters," October 3, 2026, aljazeera.com The Times of Israel, "Oct. 3: Eisenkot links PM's rejection of state inquiry into Oct. 7 to flydubai near disaster," October 3, 2026, timesofisrael.com Middle East Monitor, "30 Palestinians killed in Israeli occupier attacks in West Bank since start of 2026," October 3, 2026, middleeastmonitor.com Palestine Information Center, "Jewish settlers attack Palestinian olive farmers, groves in W. Bank," October 3, 2026, english.palinfo.com