Palestinian farmers protect vineyards and livestock in Hebron

Palestinian farmers in Beit Ummar, north of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, are guarding their homes, vineyards and livestock against settler attacks and restrictions on access to their land. Theeba al-Sabaa, 56, says nearby settler outposts have blocked access to parts of her farmland and that sheep are deliberately released into cultivated fields, damaging crops.

The pressure has also affected Anwar Sabarneh, who supports a family of 14. He says his sheep have remained locked in a barn for more than eight months because he fears settlers will steal them if they are taken outside.

Livestock and access become tools of pressure

Al-Sabaa says settlers approach the perimeter of her home and allow sheep to enter fields after they have been plowed and prepared. She said the animals graze on and trample the crops, leaving little behind. She also described attacks when settlers notice people moving into the area. For additional context, see “Teenagers killed as West Bank village faces settler encirclement”.

Sabarneh said Israeli soldiers had demanded that he obtain a permit to work at his home and on land he owns. He also said that when his children tried to recover stolen sheep, Israeli soldiers arrested and beat them.

Key points

• New settler outposts appeared on nearby hills in mid-2024, according to the account of Theeba al-Sabaa.
• Sabarneh’s vineyards are about 300 metres from his home, but he says reaching them has become dangerous.
• The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission recorded 11,074 attacks by settlers and Israeli troops in the West Bank during the first half of 2026, including 3,488 attributed to settlers.
• Farmers have faced a fourth consecutive season without being able to harvest olives, grapes or guava, according to Hasan Breijieh of the commission.

Families leave farmland as restrictions tighten

Two of Sabarneh’s brothers have abandoned their land because of repeated settler violations, he said. He belongs to an extended family of seven brothers, and his vineyards are surrounded by aggressive settlers. A related part of this story is covered in “Worshippers describe fear after attacks on West Bank mosques”.

Hasan Breijieh, a settlement affairs expert and director at the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, said settlement expansion and restrictions on Palestinian movement were driving farmers away from their farms. He pointed to military gates at community entrances and bypass roads that have limited access to orchards and vineyards and reduced connections between Palestinian communities.

Breijieh said the land had been neither plowed nor pruned under these restrictions and was being forcibly abandoned. He said Palestinian women, including al-Sabaa, have continued leading efforts to preserve family agricultural land, especially when men have been killed or detained by Israeli forces. The development of this issue can be followed in “Fire near Ein Siniya factory adds to West Bank economic attacks”.