Sinjil, West Bank — A year after Hamas’ deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, violence continues to ripple through the Israeli-occupied West Bank, leaving Palestinians like Hosam Aida, 70, unable to access their land. The Palestinian-American had hoped to begin harvesting his olive groves last year, but Israeli soldiers stopped him as he approached his property, citing the war against Hamas.
“They told me, because they are in a war, ‘Well, you get out of here, or otherwise we can shoot you right there,'” Aida recounted.
Now, a year later, Aida has not set foot on his land since. With Israel’s military operations against Hamas in Gaza still ongoing, violence has surged in the West Bank, making it too dangerous for many Palestinian farmers to tend to their crops.
“I usually hire laborers to help me with the harvest, but I’m not going to take that chance. Israeli forces kill anyone who’s there. They shoot them right away,” Aida told CBS News during a meeting at his home in early October 2024.
Settler Violence and Expanding Settlements
The October 7, 2023, attack that killed around 1,200 people triggered a dramatic increase in violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between the day of the attack and mid-September 2024, there were roughly 1,360 documented attacks by settlers on Palestinians. These incidents displaced 1,628 Palestinians, including 794 children.
The expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and outposts has exacerbated tensions, with many built on Palestinian agricultural land. Monitoring groups, including Peace Now, report that the Israeli army has also taken control of areas near its bases in the West Bank, further restricting access to Palestinian-owned land.
Aida, like many other Palestinians, has watched as parts of his property have been lost to settlers and the military. The situation has grown worse over the past year as Israeli settlers face little to no consequences for their actions, according to Sarit Michaeli, the international advocacy lead for the rights group B’Tselem.
“Israeli settlers can attack Palestinians, steal their property, and take over their land with almost total impunity. Since October 7, most Israelis have stopped thinking or caring about this issue,” Michaeli explained.
Despite widespread international condemnation and U.S. pressure to halt the settlement expansion, the Israeli government has continued to support settlement growth, with many considering the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the country’s most far-right in history. Israeli outposts—settlements that are illegal even under Israeli law—have grown steadily. At least 43 new illegal outposts were established in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, with plans to convert five of these into full-fledged settlements.
A Dire Outlook for Palestinian Farmers
The expansion of settlements has created a new landscape for Palestinians like Aida. In addition to the 40 new illegal outposts documented by Peace Now in the last year, new roads have been constructed, further consolidating Israeli control over areas that were once exclusively Palestinian farmland.
For Aida, the only view of his olive trees is now from a distance. He is reluctant to make another attempt at accessing his property, fearing for his safety and that of any laborers he might hire. But despite the escalating violence and the seemingly insurmountable challenges, Aida remains determined to stay on his land.
“I have the right to go to the United States. I have my American passport, and all my children were born there, but I’m not leaving my land,” Aida stated resolutely. “I’d rather die here before they take it.”
His sentiment echoes that of many Palestinians who are increasingly caught between a desire for safety and a deep-rooted connection to their ancestral land. The broader conflict, combined with an expanding Israeli settler presence, has made it ever more difficult for Palestinian farmers to continue their livelihoods, raising questions about the future of Palestinian land rights in the West Bank.
Continued International Focus
International efforts to address the settlement issue have largely stalled, with Israel’s government focused on its war with Hamas and securing its borders. The expansion of settlements, illegal under international law, continues to fuel tensions between Israel and its critics, including within the United Nations. Meanwhile, U.S. diplomacy has struggled to curtail settlement growth, even as American officials call for restraint in the West Bank.
As the conflict stretches into its second-year post-October 2023, the future for Palestinians like Aida remains uncertain. With both violence and Israeli settlement activities on the rise, the long-standing land dispute in the West Bank shows little sign of abating, and the prospect of a peaceful resolution seems more distant than ever.
This content may violate our usage policies.
Did we get it wrong? Please tell us by giving this response a thumbs down.
Sinjil, West Bank — A year after Hamas’ deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, violence continues to ripple through the Israeli-occupied West Bank, leaving Palestinians like Hosam Aida, 70, unable to access their land. Palestinian-Americans had hoped to begin harvesting his olive groves last year, but Israeli soldiers stopped him as he approached his property, citing war against Hamas.
“y told me, because y is in a war, ‘Well, you get out of here, or otherwise we can shoot you right re,'” Aida recounted.
Now, a year later, Aida has not set foot on his land since. With Israel’s military operations against Hamas in Gaza still ongoing, violence has surged in the West Bank, making it too dangerous for many Palestinian farmers to tend to their crops.
“I usually hire laborers to help me with harvest, but I’m not going to take that chance. Israeli forces kill anyone who’s re. y shoots me right away,” Aida told CBS News during a meeting at his home in early October 2024.
Settler Violence and Expanding Settlements
October 7, 2023, an attack that killed around 1,200 people triggered a dramatic increase in violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. According to the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between the day of attack and mid-September 2024, re were roughly 1,360 documented attacks by settlers on Palestinians. Se incidents displaced 1,628 Palestinians, including 794 children.
Expansion of illegal Israeli settlements and outposts has exacerbated tensions, with many built on Palestinian agricultural land. Monitoring groups, including Peace Now, report that the Israeli army has also taken control of areas near its bases in the West Bank, further restricting access to Palestinian-owned land.
Aida, like many Palestinians, has watched as parts of his property have been lost to settlers and the military. The situation has grown worse over the past year as Israeli settlers face little to no consequences for ir actions, according to Sarit Michaeli, international advocacy lead for the rights group B’Tselem.
“Israeli settlers can attack Palestinians, steal our property, and take over our land with almost total impunity. Since October 7, most Israelis have stopped thinking or caring about this issue,” Michaeli explained.
Despite widespread international condemnation and U.S. pressure to halt settlement expansion, the Israeli government has continued to support settlement growth, with many considering the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the country’s most far-right in history. Israeli outposts—settlements that are illegal even under Israeli law—have grown steadily. At least 43 new illegal outposts were established in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, with plans to convert five of them into full-fledged settlements.
A Dire Outlook for Palestinian Farmers
expansion of settlements has created a new landscape for Palestinians like Aida. In addition to 40 new illegal outposts documented by Peace Now in the last year, new roads have been constructed, further consolidating Israeli control over areas that were once exclusively Palestinian farmland.
For Aida, the only view of his olive trees is now from a distance. He is reluctant to make any attempt at accessing his property, fearing for his safety and that of any laborers he might hire. But despite escalating violence and seemingly insurmountable challenges, Aida remains determined to stay on his land.
“I have the right to go to the United States. I have my American passport, and all my children were born re, but I’m not leaving my land,” Aida stated resolutely. “I’d rather die here before y take it.”
His sentiment echoes that of many Palestinians who are increasingly caught between a desire for safety and a deep-rooted connection to their ancestral land. Broader conflict, combined with an expanding Israeli settler presence, has made it ever more difficult for Palestinian farmers to continue their livelihoods, raising questions about the future of Palestinian land rights in the West Bank.
Continued International Focus
International efforts to address settlement issues have largely stalled, with Israel’s government focused on its war with Hamas and securing its borders. Expansion of settlements, illegal under international law, continues to fuel tensions between Israel and its critics, including within the United Nations. Meanwhile, U.S. diplomacy has struggled to curtail settlement growth, even as American officials call for restraint in the West Bank.
As conflict stretches into its second-year post-October 2023, the future for Palestinians like Aida remains uncertain. With both violence and Israeli settlement activities on the rise, long-standing land dispute in the West Bank shows little sign of abating, and the prospect of a peaceful resolution seems more distant than ever.
