Israeli bulldozers raze olive groves and farmland in West Bank's Arraba

September 5, 2026 at 08:37 PM2 min

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Israeli military bulldozers destroyed olive groves and farmland along the Arraba-Ya'bad road in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. The operation extended past the red pylons marking Area A, which is under Palestinian Authority control. The destruction comes as settler attacks on Palestinian land have intensified since October 2023.

Key Facts

Bulldozers uprooted olive trees and demolished structures along the Arraba-Ya'bad road on Thursday, September 4, 2026.
The destruction extended past the red pylons marking Area A, which is under Palestinian Authority control.
The al-Fari family's phones were confiscated and their IDs taken and photographed during the uprooting.
Mayor Ahmed Arda said 1,500 dunums (1.5 sq km) of farmland west of Arraba became inaccessible after October 2023.
Israeli settlements and outposts across the West Bank are illegal under international law.

The Destruction

Kamal al-Uraidi drove down the Arraba-Ya'bad road as bulldozers ripped olive trees from the ground on both sides. The destruction stretched for kilometres, with whole fields of olive groves razed and structures reduced to twisted metal. Israeli flags were planted as far as the eye could see, all the way to the strategically significant Arraba Junction. The first bulldozer completed its work on the al-Fari family's land, where two Palestinian women pleaded with soldiers to stop the machines. A second bulldozer worked simultaneously further down the road, demolishing more olive trees.

Settler Expansion

Mayor Ahmed Arda said Arraba is hemmed in by the Mevo Dotan settlement to the west, the newly founded Emek Dotan settlement to the north, and several new outposts to the south. The Arraba military camp and four settlements in the northern West Bank were evacuated as part of Israel's 2005 disengagement. After October 2023, 1,500 dunums of farmland west of Arraba and close to Mevo Dotan were rendered inaccessible by settlers. Settler attacks on Palestinian-owned homes, businesses and farmland have gathered pace since the launch of Israel's war in Gaza in October 2023.