{
  "id": 14690218,
  "title": "Palestinian farmers petition High Court over three years of blocked access to Nahalin land",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/palestinian-farmers-petition-high-court-over-three-years-of-blocked",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-15T12:20:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-911817"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Six Palestinian farmers have filed a petition with the High Court of Justice, requesting the lifting of three years of obstructed access to farmland near Nahalin in the West Bank. According to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), the farmers allege that Israeli soldiers and settlers have been blocking or severely limiting their agricultural activities since October 2023, without presenting proper authorizations for these restrictions.The ACRI submitted the petition on behalf of the farmers, urging for an urgent hearing as the olive harvest season commences. The farmers explain that they are facing their fourth harvest under these restrictions, which have damaged their crops, deprived families of income, and left their cultivated lands vulnerable to encroachment.The central issue in the petition is the lack of a disclosed legal basis for the restrictions. Instead of demanding the court to overturn specific closure orders, the farmers argue that no such orders have been presented to them, their lawyers, or local Palestinian authorities, despite numerous requests for clarification.They outline a series of obstacles, including blocked agricultural roads filled with earth and stones, soldiers ordering farmers off their designated plots, threats and violence from settlers, and a checkpoint where passage appears to depend on an unexplained list of approved residents. The petition states that the criteria for inclusion on the Etzion checkpoint list have remained unexplained, and attempts to add names through Palestinian liaison officials have been unsuccessful.One farmer claims to have worked a plot for around 50 years before worsening harassment and military instructions forced him to stop. The petition acknowledges that access to the land varies, with some plots seeing cultivation halt entirely due to threats of expulsion or violence.A reported incident on June 23, 2026, involved settlers bringing sheep into a farmer's olive grove, damaging the trees. The farmer called the police, who were reportedly not present. Soldiers who arrived allegedly detained the farmer, threatened him at gunpoint, and ordered his removal, rather than addressing the settlers.The petition also recounts a September 14, 2025, visit, during which soldiers claimed the existence of a closure order but failed to produce it. The filing includes photographs, mapped locations of roadblocks, and affidavits, land records, and police complaints. It also lists four written requests made to authorities between October 2025 and August 2026, which the petition claims received no response.The 2006 Morar ruling by the High Court states that keeping Palestinian farmers off their land to protect them from attacks is disproportionate. Authorities must provide protection and take action against those responsible for threats, while preserving narrowly limited emergency powers for temporary closures. The ACRI argues that these exceptions cannot justify ongoing restrictions without a disclosed order, and emphasizes the broader damage to the farmers' livelihoods and the need for protection of their property and livelihoods.The petition seeks orders for the removal of unlawfully placed barriers, ensuring access to farmland where no valid, duly published restriction applies, instructing troops to stop demanding prior coordination without legal authority, and permitting residents to pass through the checkpoint to reach their farmland. The petition also requests a short deadline for the authorities' response and an urgent hearing.",
  "summary": "The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, which submitted the petition on their behalf, is seeking an urgent hearing as the olive harvest begins.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "Eight candidates shortlisted for three Western Cape High Court vacancies",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/15/eight-candidates-shortlisted-for-three-western-cape-high-court",
        "published": "2026-10-15T11:07:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}