Israeli settlers escorted by soldiers attacked on Sunday Palestinian farmers harvesting olives in their own lands near Qaffin village, southeast of the occupied northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Walid Sabbah, mayor of Qaffin, told WAFA news agency that a group of army-guarded Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian farmers while they were harvesting their olive crops and clashed with them.

He said Palestinian farmers and residents of the village have been attacked several times by Israeli settlers who live in a nearby illegal outpost, saying that the settlers frequently harass Palestinian farmers and force them to leave their lands at gunpoint.

Over the past two weeks, the West Bank witnessed a massive wave of Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians as Palestinian farmers began the year’s olive harvest.

The olive harvest is one of the most important seasons for thousands of Palestinian households in the occupied territories whose income depends heavily on the success of this season.