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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has instructed the Foreign Ministry to request an emergency UN Security Council meeting to secure international protection for Palestinians facing a rise in attacks by Israelis seizing Palestinian land and by Israeli soldiers, the ministry said in a written statement.

Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh called on the council to act immediately to shield Palestinians and impose deterrent measures against such assaults and violations by occupation forces. He said 19 attacks targeting farmers, olive harvesters and their property had been recorded since Friday morning, arguing that the scope of the violence is widening and directly threatening Palestinian livelihoods.

The West Bank olive harvest is described as facing serious risks from escalating settler attacks and Israeli army restrictions, with long-term damage to trees when farmers cannot reach their land. According to the Anti-Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, more than 14,742 attacks have been carried out in the West Bank since October 2023, killing 66 Palestinians and destroying, burning or uprooting 147,111 trees. Separately, the Palestinian Red Crescent said soldiers shot dead Shadi Ahmed Ibrahim Ajarmeh, 32, at the Nabi Yunus junction in Hebron and withheld his body.

Key Takeaways

• Abbas ordered an emergency Security Council session to seek international protection for Palestinians.
• Nineteen attacks on farmers and olive harvesters were recorded since Friday morning, the presidency said.
• Over 14,742 attacks since October 2023 have killed 66 Palestinians and destroyed 147,111 trees.