- Published
Dozens of masked settlers have attacked Palestinians and set fire to cars and olive trees during the annual olive harvest in the occupied West Bank.
asserted
Dozens → publish → Bank
A BBC team witnessed one of several attacks in farmland near the Palestinian village of Abu Falah.
asserted
team → witness → Falah
A local official said the attacks had injured 12 Palestinians, including four dual Palestinian American citizens.
asserted
attacks → say → citizens
A foreign journalist was also among those hurt.
asserted
journalist → hurt → those
Driving into the area early in the morning, we came across the first signs of the violence: a stream of cars carrying wounded Palestinian olive farmers racing out along the narrow stony track, piled high with olive picking equipment, as smoke rose from several fires nearby.
asserted
smoke → drive → fires
The bloodied face of Majdi Fheed peered out from the backseat of one car.
asserted
face → peer → car
"We were getting our olive trees and almost 15 Jewish guys … started attacking us with guns, with rocks, with special weapons.
asserted
guys → get → weapons
They hit me on my head [and] my neck – look, I am bleeding!"
asserted
I → hit → head
Yaser AlKam, a council member from the neighbouring village of Turmus Aya told me Majdi - an American citizen - was attacked by settlers with nail-studded sticks, and needed treatment for deep wounds on his head.
asserted
Majdi → tell → head
His elderly mother was also injured.
asserted
mother → injure → ?
Another man ferrying the injured to hospital told us that settlers had attacked them with sticks while they harvested their olives, and had burned three cars – including one of his own.
asserted
they → ferry → own
"As soon as we got to the land and put our things on the ground, they started to come, so we ran away" said a woman next to him.
asserted
woman → get → him
Asked about the violence, a US State Department spokesperson said they were aware of the reports.
asserted
they → ask → reports
"We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and call for investigations, arrests, and convictions, of those responsible," the spokesperson said.
asserted
spokesperson → condemn → those
Watching the vehicles stream past her, 73-year-old Imm Khaldoun told me emphatically that, no matter what happened, she would always return to her land.
asserted
she → watch → land
It's my right [to be here]" she told me.
asserted
she → tell → me
The UN says the past two weeks have already seen more attacks by violent Israeli settlers than during the entire harvest season last year.
asserted
weeks → say → season
Olive picking in the West Bank is now a test of speed, with trees rapidly stripped of fruit as soon as the sun rises, before violent Israeli settlers attack.
asserted
settlers → strip → fruit
In another olive orchard nearby, we watched as dozens of farmers used power-tools to strip the trees as fast as they could – one eye on the ridge above us, where a group of settlers at a new illegal outpost had already gathered, and were watching the olive harvest below.
uncertain
group → watch → harvest
Standing on ladders, the Palestinian farmers worked quickly, sending streams of olives onto the plastic sheets laid out under the trees.
asserted
farmers → stand → trees
Three villages had come together to harvest these olives, the landowner Amin Khalil, told me, as a form of protection against attack.
asserted
landowner → come → attack
He said his land was now surrounded by seven Jewish settlements and outposts.
asserted
land → say → settlements
Outposts – small encampments on hilltops – are illegal under Israeli law as well, but many still receive state support.
asserted
many → receive → support
"This is a hotspot – there are seven settlements around here," Amin Khalil told me.
asserted
Khalil → be → me
"This year, all the people came together because when there are just a few people working alone at the edge of the village, the settlers attack.
asserted
settlers → come → village
So all the families are working together today.
asserted
families → work → ?
But the tactic doesn't work today.
asserted
tactic → work → ?
As we watch, dozens of settlers, all dressed in black, begin moving down the hill towards us, setting fire to several groups of olive trees.
asserted
all → watch → trees
There are shouts of panic from the Palestinian farmers, yelling for children to get out of the field.
asserted
children → be → field
Some begin swiftly wrapping up the olives to leave.
asserted
Some → begin → olives
But with large numbers of people on both sides, the confrontation stalls into an uneasy stalemate.
asserted
confrontation → stall → stalemate
We see settlers with slingshots hurl stones towards us, and young Palestinian men running to throw stones in return.
asserted
men → see → return
As Israeli forces arrive, the standoff explodes into action.
asserted
standoff → arrive → action
Settlers begin running down towards us as the farmers swiftly retreat.
asserted
farmers → run → us
Some Palestinians set off fireworks to try and push the settlers back.
asserted
Palestinians → set → settlers
American journalist Heidi Levine of the Washington Post was injured in the attack.
asserted
Levine → injure → attack
She described how dozens of settlers ambushed her as she was reporting at the scene.
asserted
she → describe → scene
"I got jumped," she said.
asserted
she → jump → ?
"I was on the ground and they were kicking me and I was trying to hold onto my camera and my bag.
asserted
I → kick → camera
I had my helmet and flak jacket on which protected me.
asserted
which → have → me
…and 12 more, not listed.
The Aporia
