The diplomatic missions in Jerusalem and Ramallah of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom issue the below statement. Luxembourg associates itself with this joint statement.

The olive harvest is a major economic, social, and cultural event for Palestinians in the West Bank between October and November. Olive production provides income for around 90,000 families across the West Bank. Beyond its economic value, the harvest is a deeply social and cultural season that connects communities to their land and heritage.

This year’s harvest has unfolded amid heightened violence and restrictions. Since early October, the United Nations has recorded over 150 incidents of settler violence linked to the olive harvest in more than 75 Palestinian villages across the West Bank. These attacks have resulted in over 140 injuries, and the destruction or damage of more than 4,200 olive trees and saplings. October 2025 was the most violent month in OCHA’s records. Many farmers face intimidation and theft, and complex military coordination procedures resulting in restricted access to groves. The IDF has a range of powers, including the authority to detain suspects and hand them over to the police for investigation. However, soldiers systematically fail to act in this way in incidents of settler violence.

We condemn these continuing attacks and constraints. These attacks fuel tensions and instability, to the detriment of the security of both Palestinians and Israelis. Israel, as the occupying power, is obligated to protect Palestinians civilians, including preventing settler violence. In some areas, the cumulative impact of violence, access restrictions, and loss of livelihoods can create conditions that place communities at risk of forcible transfer, prohibited under international humanitarian law.

We recall the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 Advisory Opinion. We stress the importance of safeguarding Palestinian civilians and their access to land, threatened by the expansion of settlements and the escalation of violence by settlers in the West Bank, noting that the olive harvest is being affected by ongoing tensions.

We call on Israeli authorities to act decisively against settler violence, ensure accountability, and guarantee unfettered and safe access for Palestinian farmers to all their olive groves, including those which need crossing Israeli check-points. Israeli forces must prevent settlers from entering Palestinian farmland, respond promptly to all incidents of violence or intimidation, and investigate and prosecute those responsible. We reiterate our clear position that settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law and an obstacle to peace.