Settlers attack olive pickers near Nablus: Palestinians

NABLUS, Palestinian Territories — Jewish settlers on Friday attacked a group of around 200 Palestinians picking olives near a village in the northern West Bank, a local Palestinian official told AFP.

The clashes occurred in Jalud village some 15 kilometres south of Nablus and close to the settlement of Shilo, village council head Abdullah Qassam said.

"Settlers attacked us while we were picking olives and then there was rock throwing and fist fighting," Qassem told AFP, saying an Israeli army unit had broken up the confrontation by firing tear gas canisters.

Three people were taken to Rafidia hospital in Nablus after being beaten up, medical sources said.

An army spokesman confirmed the clashes, saying: "There was mutual rock throwing in that area and the soldiers responded with riot dispersal means, but the injuries weren't caused by the IDF (Israel Defence Forces)."

Every year, attacks by Jewish settlers against Palestinian olive farmers increase around the harvest time, which started last week.

According to international aid group Oxfam, there are approximately 9.5 million olive trees in the West Bank, where olive farming is a critical source of income for Palestinian farmers.

In a good year, the olive harvest contributes around $100 million in income to some of the poorest Palestinian communities.

Figures provided by the UN humanitarian agency OCHA show that in the first nine months of 2011, Jewish settlers destroyed 7,500 Palestinian-owned olive trees, a third of which were destroyed in September alone.

Settlers attack olive pickers near Nablus: Palestinians