Israeli Settlers Target Palestinian Factories in Bid to Force Workers Off Their Land
Israeli settler violence against Palestinian businesses and industrial facilities is escalating across the occupied West Bank, with attacks on factories, farmland and heavy machinery causing major economic losses and threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of workers and families.
A large fire, believed to have been started by Israeli settlers, destroyed olive trees and damaged an industrial facility near the village of Ein Siniya, north of Ramallah. The blaze spread across about 50 dunams (12.3 acres) of olive groves and reached the yard of the al-Omari aluminium factory.
Ein Siniya council head Emad Khater said a settler from the nearby Atara hilltops was seen near the facility shortly before the fire began. He also said Israeli soldiers prevented residents and workers from helping extinguish the flames.
Khater described the incident as part of a wider pattern of attacks in the area, including fires targeting trees, homes and vehicles, as well as theft and physical assaults against Palestinians and factory workers.
The factory owner, Abdul Samad Abdul Aziz, said settlers had previously entered the industrial site in late July and set fire to heavy equipment. A stone crusher was severely damaged, causing estimated losses of about $700,000. He said settlers had also established an outpost along the road to the facility after forcing Palestinian shepherds from the area.
According to Abdul Aziz, repeated attacks on vehicles and offices appear intended to restrict the factory's operations and pressure its owners to abandon the site.
In the town of as-Samu, south of Hebron, industrial facility owner Khaled al-Zaarir said about 30 settlers attacked his property on August 21 after repeatedly threatening him. The attackers damaged two excavators, three stone-cutting machines, three bulldozers and a security office.
A fire allegedly started during the attack left more than 90 percent of the heavy machinery beyond repair. Al-Zaarir said the destruction has affected 55 people who depended directly or indirectly on the facility for their livelihoods.
Economic Pressure
Economist Moayad Afanah said Palestinian industrial facilities in Areas B and C of the occupied West Bank are increasingly being targeted in what he described as a deliberate campaign.
He pointed to recent attacks on the al-Junaidi dairy factories in the Tulkarem area as another example of the pressure being placed on Palestinian businesses.
The destruction of expensive machinery can impose losses of hundreds of thousands of shekels on individual businesses, further weakening an already struggling Palestinian economy. Afanah warned that such attacks discourage investment and make it increasingly difficult for Palestinians to maintain economic activity on their land.
He added that the attacks are worsening the economic crisis in the West Bank, where unemployment has already reached 29 percent.
Amir Dawoud of the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said his organisation recorded 798 settler attacks in July alone. These included hundreds of incidents involving property destruction and land levelling, along with confiscations, theft and damage or poisoning of thousands of trees.
Other incidents have also targeted Palestinian industrial sites. In March, settlers reportedly erected a tent near a concrete factory in Taybeh. On August 16, a stone-cutting machine in Sinjil was targeted, with its cables cut and an electronic component stolen.
Dawoud warned that the destruction of industrial equipment can deprive dozens of families of their income while creating pressure for Palestinians to abandon their land.
He described the attacks as serving two purposes: causing direct economic damage and creating an increasingly hostile environment that could push Palestinians away from their homes and businesses, potentially facilitating further settlement expansion and control over Palestinian land.