Five Italian activists held in West Bank have been repatriated, ministry says

• Five Italian women activists were detained in the West Bank on 22 October, then released and repatriated on 24 October, Italy’s foreign ministry said.
• They had been trying to protect Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest in Kiryat Arba, where settler violence has risen sharply this year.
• Yesh Din said it recorded more than 330 incidents linked to the harvest, while olives remain vital to Palestinian farming, worth around 8% of GDP and over 60,000 jobs.

MILAN - Five Italian activists who were detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank this week were released and repatriated on the morning of Oct 24, Italy’s foreign ministry said.

The women were detained on Oct 22 by Israeli police in Kiryat Arba along with other international activists, while seeking to protect Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest in the Israel-occupied territory.

Officials from the Italian embassy in Tel Aviv visited them at the airport on Oct 23 and said the activists appeared to be in good physical condition.

Settlers have intimidated Palestinians harvesting their olives in the occupied West Bank for decades, but violence has increased sharply this year, according to Palestinians, activists and the UN.

Israeli rights group Yesh Din said it had recorded more than 330 incidents of settler violence linked to this year’s olive harvest, which started in late September, including attacks, theft and damage to trees.

Israeli security services have said they take acts of violence and criminal activity very seriously.

Olives are the backbone of Palestinian agriculture, a sector that accounts for around 8% of GDP and more than 60,000 jobs, according to the Palestinian Authority’s agriculture ministry. REUTERS