On Saturday, 26 October 2024, S.S., a 61-year-old farmer from Sinjil, went to harvest olives on his land near Route 60. Some of the land he owns in the area was expropriated by Israel, and 25 olive trees were uprooted, allegedly to build a barrier between the town and Route 60. While S.S. was harvesting the remaining trees, two soldiers arrived and told him he was not allowed to be there. One of the soldiers pointed his gun at S.S. and threatened violence if he did not leave. S.S. left and has not gone back to harvest olives since.
On Friday, 22 November 2024, around 10:00 A.M., a resident of the town told S.S. that settlers were cutting down olive trees on his land. He went there and found that six ancient olive trees had been cut down and their trunks stolen. According to S.S., the grove used to yield about 80 cans of olive oil a year. He would keep some for private use and sell the rest. This year, he made no income from the grove.
