Key Facts

• Approximately 80 volunteers, including US politician Brad Lander, rabbis, and an Israeli former deputy attorney general, were detained by the Israeli military during an olive harvest near Nahalin in the West Bank.
• The volunteers say they were on private Palestinian land and were peacefully harvesting olives with permission from the landowners.
• Israeli soldiers declared the area a closed military zone and separated the detainees by nationality before transporting them to police stations.
• Brad Lander, who supports Palestinian rights and criticizes the Israeli government’s occupation, was released with a warning; others remained detained.
• The detainees have been given water but not food according to Protect the Harvest, the organization coordinating the event.
• Tensions around olive harvesting are high because settler militants have attacked Palestinians and those helping them during the harvest.
• The Israeli authorities have not yet responded publicly to requests for comment on the detentions.
• The olive harvest is an annual event and is seen by volunteers as a way to support Palestinians and highlight the situation under occupation.