Gazans harvest dregs of olive groves bulldozed and cut off by Israel

In central Gaza, Haidar Abu Middain, 60, works in the barren dirt of what was once a prosperous family olive orchard. The grove, which Abu Middain owned with his brothers and uncles, previously spanned 900 dunums of trees that would typically be heavy with fruit this time of year, according to Al-Monitor.

Separately, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric has called on Israel to protect Palestinian olive farmers and pickers from settler violence. Dujarric stated that the UN is supporting farmers ahead of the harvest season and noted that humanitarian partners have identified specific areas where protection is necessary to ensure crops can be harvested safely.

The UN has condemned attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, with Dujarric asserting that the Israeli government and security forces are obligated to protect the civilian population and hold those involved in violence accountable, according to Middle East Eye.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Middle East Eye — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.