Man, 44, shot dead by ‘Israeli’ fire during olive harvest

Content warning: This article contains a graphic image of injuries

A Palestinian man has been shot dead and others injured during the olive harvest in the Ramin Valley as the world marks the third anniversary of the 7 October genocide.

The area, which is in the Tulkarm governorate in the northern West Bank, lies between the villages of Burqa, Ramin and Bizaryaha, and is in Area A. Under the Oslo Accords, this means that it is under Palestinian civil and internal security authority.

Olive harvest tragedy

According to Sumud Network’s Jonathan Pollak, Ali Hassan Yasser al-Bazari, 44, was fatally shot when a group of about 10 settlers, accompanied by the occupation’s soldiers, tried to force Palestinian farmers off of their land. They were harvesting their olives at the time.

When landowners attempted to defend themselves, they came under attack. A larger group of settlers also joined those already present in the olive groves.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) tended to those who had been injured, including two Palestinians who suffered gunshot wounds, and three others who were beaten by colonists.

‘Israeli’ occupation soldiers assaulted field volunteers and the PRCS ambulance crews as they tried to reach the area and evacuate wounded residents.

Al-Bazari killed and IOF raid village, arresting people

According to Pollak, dozens of ‘Israeli’ occupation soldiers then raided Ramin village and arrested residents. While the raid was taking place, dozens of settlers marched near Palestinian homes on the outskirts of the village.

Although the ‘Israeli’ occupation force (IOF) was present at the time, they did nothing to stop the settlers.

‘Israel’s’ settlement expansion in the West Bank is increasingly reaching beyond Area C, where it was concentrated for many years.

A 2026 report from ‘Israeli’ human rights organisation, Yesh Din, states that this settlement expansion has been accompanied by violence aimed at intimidating Palestinians, forcing them from their land and strengthening ‘Israeli’ occupation control, with support from state institutions.

The West Bank was divided into Areas A, B, and C under the 1995 Oslo II agreement. Under that framework, Area A is under Palestinian civil and internal security authority. ‘Israeli’ citizens are prohibited under ‘Israeli law’ from entering here without prior military permission, but this restriction does not prevent the Israeli military from operating there. It regularly enters the area.

Area B has Palestinian civil administration and shared ‘Israeli’-Palestinian security responsibilities. Area C covers roughly 60% of the occupied West Bank. It remains under ‘Israeli’ security control, with ‘Israel’ also controlling planning and construction. These divisions were only intended as a temporary arrangement.

Forced displacement, ethnic cleansing in Areas A and B

Since 2024, more than 20 outposts have been established in Area B, and outposts have recently begun appearing in Area A as well. Yesh Din says senior ‘Israeli’ government ministers openly support the expansion into Area B, while the government, military and other official bodies provide protection, funding and assistance.

The organisation’s records suggest that ‘Israeli’ settler terrorism is also spreading into these areas, and Areas A and B account for a growing proportion of the incidents it documents. This year, more than 60% of recorded incidents of violence against Palestinians took place in those two areas.

The murder of Ali Hassan Yasser al-Bazari comes on the third anniversary of ‘Israel’s’ ongoing genocide in Gaza, which began on 7 October 2023.

The Gaza Ministry of Health reports that 74,250 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since then, including nearly 22,000 children. More than 175,000 have been wounded, one in four of whom have life-changing injuries. These figures correspond to roughly one in 30 people killed and one in 13 injured in the Strip.

How many settler attacks since 7 October 2023?

The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission tells us that in the occupied West Bank over the same three-year period, 14,742 settler attacks have occurred. A total of 67 Palestinians have been killed by these colonisers and 31 so far in 2026 alone.

During this time ‘Israeli’ authorities have seized 6,400 hectares of Palestinian land, which is approximately 8,963 standard football pitches. They have also carried out 1,814 demolitions and issued another 2,133 demolition orders on Palestinian property.

A further 97 settlement tenders, aimed at building 15,760 colonial units, have also been issued.

As the olive harvest continues, Palestinian farmers in the northern West Bank face the prospect of further assaults, restricted access to their land, and no prospect of any accountability. For families in Ramin and Burqa, the attack in the valley is another blow in an olive harvest already marked by beatings, shootings and blocked access to the land.

Featured image via the Canary

By Charlie Jaay