Another olive harvest season, another year of Israeli attacks on Palestinian farmers

Attacked by Israeli settlers and blocked by Israeli soldiers, Palestinians in the West Bank are facing yet another grim olive harvest season. In more violent incidents since the beginning of the harvest this month, armed Israeli settlers have assaulted Palestinian farmers, cut down trees and set fire to olive groves.

The latest spate of attacks by settlers and blockages by the army is part of a trend that, rights groups say, is worsening as Israel's brutal war on Gaza rages on, with settlers appearing emboldened by some far-right Israeli government ministers who seek to annex the West Bank.

Israeli forces have said it tries to ensure Palestinians can harvest while avoiding clashes with settlers, and says the war in Gaza has "raised tension" in the occupied West Bank.

However, many Palestinians, as well as Israeli human rights groups, believe the army has abetted settler attacks.