Jamil Abu Riyan, 48, a father of six from Halhul, described how settlers deny him access to the groves in which he invested all his savings after losing his job in Israel
I live with my wife and our six children in the Wadi al-Jif area, north of the town of Halhul. I own 16 dunams of land—nine in the Ras al-Qadi area and seven in Wadi a-Dur. From 2009 until 7 October 2023, I worked in Israel, but when the war broke out, my work permit was revoked. Since I lost my livelihood, I rented 20 dunams in the Wardan area of Wadi Qaboun, and three dunams in the Khirbet al-Qitt (Wadi al-Amir) area, near where the Carmei Tzur settlement was established. All these plots have grapevines and almond trees. I’m supposed to give part of the harvest to the owners.
I invested all my savings – about 150,000 ILS – in renting and preparing the land. But in May 2025, the settlers established a farming outpost at the entrance to my land near Ras al-Qadi, and they blocked the road in the Wadi a-Shnar area, which is the access road to the rest of my land.
I invested all my savings – about 150,000 ILS [~ $49,200 USD] – in renting and preparing the land. But in May 2025, the settlers established a farming outpost at the entrance to my land near Ras al-Qadi, and they blocked the road in the Wadi a-Shnar area, which is the access road to the rest of my land.
Preparing the land in Ras al-Qadi cost me about 400,000 ILS [~ $131,300 USD]. To finance this, I sold my land in the Um al-Safa area for 100,000 dinars [~ 400,000 ILS, or $131,300 USD]. In 2023 and 2024, I harvested more than three metric tons of grapes, and during the grape leaf harvest season, I sold produce worth about 50,000 ILS [~ $16,400 USD].
After the area was surrounded by outposts, and the settlers blocked access to my plots with iron gates and embankments and attacked and chased us every time we arrived, I lost about 60% of my grape harvest and wasn’t able to generate any income from the grape leaves.
In 2025, after the area was surrounded by outposts, and the settlers blocked access to my plots with iron gates and embankments and attacked and chased us every time we arrived, I lost about 60% of my grape harvest and wasn’t able to generate any income from the grape leaves.
Last Ramadan, I went with my family to my plot in Wadi a-Dur, which in Area B. There, we were attacked by about 25 settlers, who stole our farming equipment – including the pesticide sprayers – and even took my son’s toys. They attacked us, beat us, drove us off the land, and threatened to kill us if we returned. Ever since, I haven’t been able to return to that land, because every time we try to get there, the army stops us and claims that these are state lands.
Last Ramadan, I went with my family to my plot in Wadi a-Dur, which in Area B. There, we were attacked by about 25 settlers, who stole our farming equipment – including the pesticide sprayers – and even took my son’s toys. They attacked us, beat us, drove us off the land, and threatened to kill us if we returned.
This year, I haven’t been able to prune the vines, weed, plow the land, or spray the vines. All of this could damage the grape harvest, prevent me from earning from the grape-leaf harvesting season, and even kill the vines.
My brother has two dunams of land next to the new outpost in Ras al-Qadi. He had vines there that were more than 30 years old. The settlers plowed the entire field, uprooted all the vines, and then built a structure there to store their equipment.
I bought a tractor to plow the fields, but because of the iron gates and embankments, I can’t use it at all – I can’t even get it onto the land. I owe about 200,000 ILS [~ $65,650 USD] for agricultural equipment, workers’ wages, fertilizer, and other expenses. Now I’m trying to sell the tractor to pay back at least some of my debt.
I invested everything I had to prepare the land and make a living from it after I was barred from working inside Israel. But since the start of the 2026 harvest season, I haven’t been able to reach my fields. This is a catastrophe for me, it’s causing me very heavy losses.
- Testimony given to B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja'bari on 23 April 2026