The Israeli Army Radio announced on Sunday that Israeli police arrested 14 foreign solidarity activists with Palestinians, who were participating in the olive harvest season in the occupied West Bank, with a view to deporting them on charges of "breaching public order."
The radio clarified that the arrest took place on Saturday near the village of Al-Lubban al-Gharbi northwest of Ramallah, where the activists were located in an area classified by Israeli authorities as a "closed military zone." The detainees held citizenships from the United States, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland, Portugal, the Netherlands, and Australia.
For its part, the Israeli Population and Immigration Authority announced on Sunday the decision to expel the 14 activists who entered the country on tourist visas. The Authority confirmed that the decision came after a hearing that concluded with their deportation, noting that they were detained for violating the military closure order and suspected of working to breach public order.
This decision comes amid an escalation in Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians and their lands during the olive harvest season, which began in early October last year. The attacks include assaulting farmers, preventing them from reaching their lands, and destroying trees and crops, posing a threat to a primary source of livelihood for thousands of Palestinian families.
Since the start of the season, Israel has deported other foreign activists who arrived to express solidarity with Palestinians. On October 17, settlers attacked diplomats from France, Belgium, and Poland near the village of Taibeh east of Ramallah, and no military force arrived at the scene despite calls for help, even after three hours had passed.
According to the Palestinian Committee Against the Wall and Settlement, more than 45,000 trees were cut or damaged in the West Bank during the first half of 2026, including more than 26,000 olive trees. Official data indicates the presence of approximately 750,000 settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, distributed across 194 settlements and about 400 outposts.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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