Israeli activists sit next to members of the Israeli forces on guard.
Israeli rights group Yesh Din said it had recorded more than 330 incidents of settler violence linked to this year’s harvest, which began in late September. Palestinians, activists and the United Nations have reported a sharp rise in settler violence this year.
He said the activists had not committed any crime and expressed hope that they would be sent back to Italy within hours. Israeli security services have said they take acts of violence and criminal activity seriously. The activists were held amid rising violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians harvesting olives in the occupied West Bank. The development comes a day after Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani demanded the immediate release of the five women, calling their detention unacceptable. Italy’s diplomatic missions in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem had contacted Israeli authorities to seek clarification about the circumstances of the detention and the condition of the Italian nationals. The detention comes as Palestinians face increasing attacks and intimidation by Israeli settlers during the annual olive harvest. The incidents included attacks, theft and damage to olive trees.
Five Italian women activists detained by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank during the olive harvest were released and repatriated on Saturday morning, Italy’s foreign ministry said. The women were detained on Thursday by Israeli police in Kiryat Arba along with other international activists while accompanying Palestinian farmers to protect them during the olive harvest, according to Reuters. Tajani made the remarks to journalists on the sidelines of an international summit in Istanbul on Friday, Reuters reported. Italian embassy officials visited the women at the airport on Friday evening and said they appeared to be in good physical condition, according to Reuters.
The sector accounts for around 8 per cent of the Palestinian economy’s GDP and provides more than 60,000 jobs, according to the Palestinian Authority’s agriculture ministry. Olives are central to Palestinian agriculture, supporting livelihoods across the occupied West Bank. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.