Palestine weekly: Olive harvest opens under assault

While olive picking season is yet to officially begin, Palestinians began early efforts to reach their groves this week – and so did the Israeli settlers.Across the occupied West Bank, harvesters were beaten, trees were burned, crops and tools were stolen, and Israeli soldiers closed land to its owners.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3What happened between Ireland and Israel in their Nations League match?list 2 of 3Israeli forces kill one, injure several in occupied West Banklist 3 of 3UK ‘threatens to expel 27 Israeli diplomats’ over Jerusalem consulateend of listMeanwhile, in Gaza, Israeli strikes continued to ignore a year-old “ceasefire” as the territory’s humanitarian and medical systems slid further towards collapse, with winter around the corner.A harvest under siegeThe week’s violence suggests a bloody olive harvest to come in the occupied West Bank. On October 3 in Jabal Qamas, between the towns of Osarin and Beita south of Nablus, settlers from the illegal Mevaser Shalom outpost attacked a family of harvesters. The pogrom left one man, Hussam Adily, in critical condition, and injured his brother and mother, according to Israeli activist Jonathan Pollack and A...