17/6/2026 – Union for Justice Foundation
The Union for Justice Foundation stated that Israeli settler gangs are carrying out organized and repeated attacks aimed at harming livestock and plant resources, which represent a cornerstone of food and economic security in the Palestinian countryside, in an effort to force Palestinian residents to leave their lands and submit to the harsh reality imposed on them.
The Union for Justice Foundation noted that livestock and plant resources constitute the backbone of the economic activity on which the majority of families in Palestinian villages rely, particularly those located in Area C and the Jordan Valley. These resources provide employment opportunities for thousands of citizens and help reduce poverty. The total number of workers engaged in agricultural holdings in both plant and livestock sectors is estimated at approximately 292,000.
The Foundation added: “In addition to the major economic losses inflicted on Palestinian families as a result of the systematic and repeated targeting of livestock and plant resources by settler gangs, we also observe other psychological objectives that are no less dangerous. These resources constitute one of the key factors underpinning the Palestinian farmer’s steadfastness on his land.”
In Palestinian villages and rural communities, sheep are not merely a source of income; they represent an integral part of a deeply rooted way of life tied to the land, and a means of survival for entire families who depend on herding and agriculture.
The Foundation continued: “The Palestinian farmer does not view his agricultural field or flock of sheep merely as an economic project that generates income. Rather, they constitute a fundamental reason for his attachment to his rights and his refusal to submit to the plans of the Israeli government, which ultimately seek to displace him from his land and force him to leave. The government uses settlers as ‘a tool for creating a coercive environment’ by targeting the citizens’ primary sources of livelihood.”
According to the Union for Justice Foundation, many Bedouin communities—particularly in the Jordan Valley, East Jerusalem, and southern Hebron—have been forced over the past three years to leave their homes and relocate to nearby Palestinian villages as a result of the ongoing attacks carried out by settler gangs. The Foundation noted that these communities, composed of Bedouins and herders, rely primarily on livestock resources and have no other sources of income.
Over the past two months, the Union for Justice Foundation has documented and recorded more than 150 assaults and attacks carried out by settlers, which have resulted in damage to various forms of livestock and plant resources in the Palestinian countryside.
Diverse Attacks, One Objective
On the livestock front, these attacks have varied between settler gangs stealing sheep, cattle, goats, horses, and donkeys, killing them in brutal ways, running them over and poisoning them, as well as destroying beehives, attacking and vandalizing poultry and egg farms, and stealing fodder, straw, and fertilizers.
According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, the first half of the current year witnessed “102 cases of theft and assaults against Palestinian livestock,” affecting a total of 4,796 heads of livestock, including both theft and killing.
According to the Palestinian Authority, the number of recorded attacks in less than five months of 2026 has multiplied several times compared to the entire year of 2025, which saw fewer than 30 cases of assaults and theft targeting the livestock sector.
These attacks, through the targeting of livestock and the resulting production of meat, milk and dairy products, organic fertilizers, and wool, have caused farmers to incur direct and indirect financial losses estimated at millions of dollars.
As for plant and agricultural resources, settler attacks have varied between the seizure of agricultural lands after fencing them off and forcibly taking possession of them, and arson attacks—particularly during the summer—burning thousands of dunums planted with wheat, barley, and vetch, as well as the breaking and damaging trees, especially fruit-bearing ones, foremost among them olive and almond trees, in addition to the destruction of hundreds of plastic greenhouses.
In addition, farmers are prevented from accessing their lands and are subjected to assaults while attempting to reach them to cultivate, plough, prune, and spray pesticides. Water pipelines—considered the lifeline of agricultural lands—are destroyed, artesian wells are filled in, water tankers and agricultural equipment are stolen, all of which has turned thousands of dunums from lush green orchards into barren, desolate lands.
Settlers also deliberately release their livestock to graze on Palestinian lands, causing damage and destruction to agricultural crops.
Settler attacks have not been limited to agricultural lands; they have also extended to agricultural nurseries that produce and supply ornamental seedlings, fruit trees, citrus saplings, and vegetable plants.
Over the past few months, settlers have carried out two separate attacks on the “Al-Junaidi” nursery west of Deir Sharaf village, west of Nablus, and the “Al-Sanobar” nursery in Yatma village, south of Nablus. These attacks caused significant damage and financial losses, in addition to injuring several nursery workers.
Numerous Incidents Difficult to Enumerate
The Union for Justice Foundation publishes below the most prominent 85 attacks carried out by settlers over the past two and a half months against livestock and plant resources in the Palestinian countryside.
On 1/4/2026, settlers attacked livestock herders in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, by throwing stones at them and attempting to steal a herd of livestock accompanying them.
On 1/4/2026, settlers uprooted several olive trees in the Khallat al-Dahman area, northwest of Kafr ad-Dik town, west of Salfit.
On 7/4/2026, settlers assaulted farmers from Zabda village, south of Jenin, and prevented them from accessing their lands.
On 7/4/2026, settlers attacked sheep herders and foreign solidarity activists in the Wadi al-Jawaya area of Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, resulting in injuries to several of them.
On 8/4/2026, settlers stole 10 heads of livestock from the “Arab al-Ka’abneh” community, located west of al-Auja village, north of Jericho.
On 14/4/2026, settlers bulldozed agricultural lands south of Bethlehem belonging to residents of the towns of Beit Fajjar, Marah Ma’alla, and Jorat al-Sham’a, where they proceeded to level the land, install mobile homes (“caravans”), and bring in generators, in preparation for establishing a settlement outpost in the area.
On 14/4/2026, settlers cut water pipelines near Ein al-Auja spring, north of Jericho, causing a disruption in the supply of water to agricultural and grazing lands in the area.
On 16/4/2026, settlers released their livestock into residents’ fields, vineyards, and fruit-bearing peach orchards in Khirbet el-Qutt in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, causing extensive damage and destroying a large number of them.
On 16/4/2026, armed settlers attacked farmers while they were harvesting their agricultural crops in the Khallat al-Hummus area of Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.
On 17/4/2026, settlers set fire to an agricultural room belonging to citizen Muhammad Omar Rizk in the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah.
On 19/4/2026, settlers uprooted olive saplings and attacked residents’ homes in the “Osh Gharab” area of the town of Beit Sahour, east of Bethlehem.
On 19/4/2026, Israeli settlers stole approximately 150 sheep during an attack on Palestinian residents’ lands in the village of Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah.
On 21/4/2026, Israeli settlers destroyed a water reservoir with bulldozers and bulldozed lands belonging to Palestinian residents in the town of Burqa, northwest of Nablus.
On 21/4/2026, Israeli settlers cut down more than 150 olive trees in the Al-Khan and Wadi Ali areas, southeast of the village of Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, south of Nablus.
On 23/4/2026, Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian resident Abdul Fattah Al-Safadi while he was working on his land in the village of Urif, south of Nablus, causing injuries to his head and face.
On 23/4/2026, Israeli settlers forced a number of Palestinian farmers to leave their lands in the village of Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya, south of Nablus.
On 24/4/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to two vehicles and attacked poultry and livestock sheds following an assault on Palestinian residents’ homes in the town of Qusra, south of Nablus.
On 25/4/2026, Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian farmers while they were working on their lands in the Al-Balqa (“Al-Awsaj”) area, north of the city of Jericho.
On 25/4/2026, Israeli settlers attacked an agricultural shed in the Qammas area on the outskirts of the town of Beita, south of Nablus.
On 25/4/2026, Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian farmers on their lands in the village of Beit Iksa, northwest of Jerusalem, and fired dozens of tear gas canisters at them under the protection of Israeli occupation forces.
On 26/4/2026, Israeli settlers uprooted 400 olive trees in the town of Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah.
On 28/4/2026, Israeli settlers attacked sheep herders in the Al-Muntar Bedouin community in the Jerusalem Desert, southeast of occupied Jerusalem.
On 29/4/2026, Israeli settlers cut down more than 200 productive olive and almond trees in the Al-Shuweika area of the town of Adh Dhahiriya, south of Hebron. The trees belonged to Palestinian resident Ahmad Othman Al-Samamra.
Settler Attacks in May
On 1/5/2026, armed Israeli settlers stole a tent and agricultural equipment and prevented Palestinian farmers from accessing their fields in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.
On 1/5/2026, Israeli settlers assaulted a Palestinian resident while he was working on his land in the Al-Marj area of the town of Deir Dibwan, east of Ramallah, and stole his agricultural tractor.
On 2/5/2026, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian-owned lands in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, by releasing their livestock onto the area and uprooting and damaging approximately 30 olive trees.
On 2/5/2026, Israeli settlers released their livestock onto lands belonging to Palestinian residents in the Hamroush area, east of the town of Sa’ir, northeast of Hebron, destroying residents’ crops.
On 2/5/2026, Israeli settlers attacked a poultry farm in the town of Qusra, south of Nablus.
On 2/5/2026, Israeli settlers destroyed a water pipeline supplying areas east of the town of Atuf in the northern Jordan Valley, disrupting water access to those areas.
On 3/5/2026, Israeli settlers used bulldozers to uproot approximately 1,000 olive trees from Palestinian agricultural lands belonging to the town of Turmus Ayya, north of Ramallah.
On 5/5/2026, Israeli settlers attacked sheep herders in the “Rujum Al-A‘la” area of Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, and attempted to steal a livestock herd.
On 6/5/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to two agricultural structures in the western area of the town of Kafr ad-Dik, west of Salfit.
On 7/5/2026, armed Israeli settlers damaged a number of trees and agricultural crops in Wadi Al-Rakhim in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.
On 7/5/2026, Israeli settlers chased Palestinian farmers and shepherds in the areas of Umm al-Qubur, Wadi al-Jawaya, and Rujum Al-A‘la in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, and forced them to leave their lands.
On 8/5/2026, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian resident Murad Al-Batat and his child with sharp objects while they were on their agricultural land in the village of Shuweika, south of Hebron, causing head injuries to both of them.
On 9/5/2026, Israeli settlers prevented Palestinian farmers from plowing their lands in the town of Beit Iksa, northwest of occupied Jerusalem.
On 10/5/2026, Israeli settlers stole approximately 80 sheep from the village of Kafr Malik, east of Ramallah, during an attack they carried out on its outskirts.
On 10/5/2026, bulldozers belonging to Israeli settlers demolished 50 agricultural structures owned by the Al-Khouli and Muqbil families in the Arab Al-Khouli community, east of the town of Kafr Thulth, south of Qalqilya. The structures, built of stone, iron, and corrugated metal sheets (zinc panels), were situated on approximately 30 dunums of agricultural land within a larger area of around 1,700 dunums planted with mature olive trees and wheat crops. The financial losses were estimated at millions of shekels.
On 14/5/2026, Israeli settlers began bulldozing agricultural lands in the Wadi Al-Matwi area, located between the city of Salfit and the town of Bruqin, west of the governorate, with the aim of constructing a new settlement road in the area.
On 15/5/2026, Israeli settlers attacked sheep herders in the area between the towns of Beit Anan and Beit Duqqu, northwest of occupied Jerusalem, and attempted to steal a number of sheep.
On 16/5/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to an agricultural structure belonging to Palestinian resident Fathi Khaled Shalabi and spray-painted racist slogans in the town of Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah.
On 16/5/2026, Israeli settlers assaulted Palestinian residents and grazed their livestock on agricultural crops in the Wadi Al-Rakhim community, west of the village of Susiya, south of Hebron, resulting in farmer Mohammed Shannaran sustaining bruises.
On 16/5/2026, Israeli settlers stole a horse in the town of Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem, and attacked Palestinian resident Murad Hussein Issa while he was plowing his land.
On 17/5/2026, Israeli settlers assaulted sheep herders in Khirbet al-Tawil, which lies within the lands of Aqraba, south of Nablus, and ran over one of the livestock animals while it was grazing in the area.
On 17/5/2026, Israeli settlers cut down 150 fruit-bearing trees on lands belonging to the village of Yasuf, east of Salfit Governorate. The trees were owned by Palestinian residents Atta Allah Yassin, Anwar Ayyoub, and Wafaa Yassin.
On 17/5/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to a number of olive trees on the outskirts of the village of Burqa, east of Ramallah.
On 18/5/2026, Israeli settlers cut down a number of olive trees in the town of Al-Taybeh, Ramallah District.
On 18/5/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to a sheep pen and a traditional taboon oven belonging to Palestinian resident Riyad Youssef Shnaran in the Wadi Al-Rakhim area of Hebron District, causing him to suffer burns while attempting to extinguish the fire.
On 18/5/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to agricultural lands in the Eastern Plain area of the village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah.
On 18/5/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to lands belonging to Palestinian residents in the Umm Nir area of the town of Al-Karmil, south of Hebron.
On 21/5/2026, Israeli settlers stole 45 sheep and assaulted a Palestinian resident in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.
On 22/5/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to dozens of bags filled with hay and to water networks in Khillet Khader Al-Farisiya in the northern Jordan Valley.
On 23/5/2026, Israeli settlers expelled the family of Palestinian resident Ziyad Marr while they were harvesting their land in Khirbet Mneizel in Masafer Yatta, and stole agricultural equipment belonging to them.
On 23/5/2026, Israeli settlers vandalized olive trees belonging to Palestinian resident Nizam Talib Shallalda in the Wadi Sa’ir area, south of Hebron.
On 24/5/2026, Israeli settlers grazed their sheep on lands belonging to the town of Nahalin, west of Bethlehem, causing damage to a number of grapevine and olive trees.
On 24/5/2026, Israeli settlers cut down more than 40 productive olive trees belonging to Palestinian resident Nashat Shtayyeh in the area surrounding Al-Zaytouna University, east of the city of Salfit.
On 28/5/2026, Israeli settlers vandalized the contents of an agricultural structure in the vicinity of Jabal Al-Arma in Beita, south of Nablus.
On 30/5/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to agricultural lands located between the towns of Silwad and Deir Jarir, east of Ramallah.
On 30/5/2026, Israeli settlers broke and damaged olive trees on lands in Khirbet Al-Markaz, in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron.
On 30/5/2026, Israeli settlers vandalized agricultural crops and assaulted Palestinian farmers in the Al-Farsh area near Wadi Al-Rakhim, south of Yatta, south of Hebron.
Settler Attacks in June
On 1/6/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to agricultural lands planted with olive trees in the village of Duma, south of Nablus.
On 1/6/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to a number of olive trees between the town of Turmus Ayya and the village of Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah.
On 2/6/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to large areas of wheat crops and olive trees along the road between Al-Sawiya and Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus.
On 2/6/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to large areas of wheat crops belonging to Palestinian farmers in the town of Idhna, west of Hebron, near the settlement of Adora and the newly established outpost known as Adorim.
On 2/6/2026, Israeli settlers stole dozens of sheep belonging to Palestinian residents of the village of Beit Iksa, northwest of occupied Jerusalem.
On 3/6/2026, Israeli settlers attacked a poultry farm on the road connecting the towns of Qusra and Jalud, south of Nablus.
On 3/6/2026, armed Israeli settlers from the Adora settlement, built on Palestinian-owned land, set fire to farmers’ fields in the Al-Jalayta area east of Idhna in Hebron Governorate, causing extensive damage to a large portion of the farmland.
On 3/6/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to vast areas of wheat and barley fields in the Deir Shams area, south of the town of Adh Dhahiriya, south of Hebron.
On 3/6/2026, Israeli settlers attacked agricultural lands between the towns of Odala and Huwwara, in the Al-Sawiya Plain and the area of Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus, and set fire to wheat crops, causing their complete destruction.
On 3/6/2026, Israeli settlers released their camels and sheep onto Palestinian-owned lands planted with olive trees in the Al-Khalaifa area of the town of Al-Taybeh, east of Ramallah, causing damage to crops and trees.
On 3/6/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to agricultural lands belonging to Palestinian residents in the town of Burqa, east of Ramallah, causing fires to spread across surrounding areas of land.
On 3/6/2026, Israeli settlers vandalized the main and only water pipeline supplying the Arab Al-Tubna Bedouin community with water, located east of occupied Jerusalem near the Khan al-Ahmar area on the road connecting Jerusalem and Jericho.
On 4/6/2026, Israeli settlers plowed large areas of Palestinian-owned land in preparation for seizing it and stole a number of sheep in the Al-Jalatiya area, east of the town of Idhna, west of Hebron.
On 5/6/2026, Israeli settlers assaulted two young men while they were guarding the water pump of an agricultural well in the Atuf area, southeast of Tubas, and destroyed parts of the water pipeline supplying homes and agricultural lands located east of Atuf.
On 5/6/2026, Israeli settlers vandalized a main water pipeline supplying the Al-Mahtoush community in the Khan al-Ahmar area, east of occupied Jerusalem.
On 6/6/2026, Israeli settlers stole a number of sheep from the village of Einabus, south of Nablus.
On 6/6/2026, Israeli settlers set fire to lands belonging to Palestinian residents in the Al-Naqqar area, northwest of the village of Al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah, causing fires that spread to trees and agricultural crops.
On 7/6/2026, Israeli settlers stole a horse from the village of Jurat Al-Sham‘a, south of Bethlehem.
On 8/6/2026, Israeli settlers destroyed an irrigation water network used for agricultural crops in the Khalayel Al-Louz area, southeast of Bethlehem.
On 9/6/2026, Israeli settlers destroyed the drinking water network in the village of Al-Rashaida, east of Bethlehem, depriving residents and livestock breeders of their primary source of water.
On 10/6/2026, Israeli settlers cut down a number of olive trees belonging to a Palestinian resident in the village of Deir Abu Mash’al, northwest of Ramallah.
On 11/6/2026, Israeli settlers attacked farmers and stole agricultural equipment in southern Yatta, south of Hebron. They also contaminated water wells in the town of Sa’ir, northeast of Hebron.
On 12/6/2026, Israeli settlers vandalized the water pipelines supplying the Al-Ara‘ra, Al-Mahtoush, and Al-Tibna communities in Khan al-Ahmar, east of occupied Jerusalem.
On 14/6/2026, Israeli settlers covered agricultural land with soil and rocks in the Wadi Al-Jamala area of the town of Nahalin, west of Bethlehem. The land is planted with approximately 200 olive trees and is located adjacent to the Beitar Illit settlement.
On 15/6/2026, Israeli settlers broke 50 olive trees in the village of Kisan, east of Bethlehem. The trees belonged to Palestinian resident Ismail Abdullah Ghazal.
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