On Friday, December 26th 2025, a number of Palestinian landowners went to plow their land and plant crops, as is their routine. Most of the land has already been planted with olive trees which have been nourished by the sweat of these farmers for over 16 years. The landowners arrived to their land full of hope for a bountiful harvest this season.

As soon as the Palestinian farmers began plowing and planting, Israeli settlers attacked them, assaulting some and beating others. When the Palestinians tried to defend themselves, the Israeli occupation army arrived to join the settlers in the attack. Soldiers beat several of the landowners, tied their hands, and detained them in the open fields for hours.

The soldiers then took a number of the farmers to the Tayasir checkpoint and held them until after midnight before releasing them.

The soldiers and settlers slashed the tires of the farmers’ vehicles and a tractor, stating that the Palestinians were not allowed to cultivate their own land, claiming it was private land for grazing the settlers’ cattle.

Tractor tyres slashed by settlers, Kirbet Yarza, 26/12/25

This is not a new tactic. Settlers have been stealing vast swathes of Palestinian land in the West Bank through farcical ‘grazing contracts’ which illegally allocate Palestinian land to settler outposts for ‘grazing’ settler herds. By claiming the land for ‘grazing’, settlers are able to steal much larger areas of land than ever before.