Five Italian women activists detained by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank during the olive harvest were released and repatriated on Saturday morning, Italy’s foreign ministry said.According to Reuters, the women were detained on Thursday by Israeli police in Kiryat Arba along with other international activists while accompanying Palestinian farmers to protect them during the olive harvest.The activists were held amid rising violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians harvesting olives in the occupied West Bank.
Italy demanded immediate release
The development comes a day after Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani demanded the immediate release of the five women, calling their detention unacceptable. He said the activists had not committed any crime and expressed hope that they would be sent back to Italy within hours.Tajani made the remarks to journalists on the sidelines of an international summit in Istanbul on Friday, Reuters reported.Italy’s diplomatic missions in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem had contacted Israeli authorities to seek clarification about the circumstances of the detention and the condition of the Italian nationals.Italian embassy officials visited the women at the airport on Friday evening and said they appeared to be in good physical condition, according to Reuters.
Rising violence during olive harvest
The detention comes as Palestinians face increasing attacks and intimidation by Israeli settlers during the annual olive harvest. Palestinians, activists and the United Nations have reported a sharp rise in settler violence this year.Israeli rights group Yesh Din said it had recorded more than 330 incidents of settler violence linked to this year’s harvest, which began in late September. The incidents included attacks, theft and damage to olive trees.Israeli security services have said they take acts of violence and criminal activity seriously.Olives are central to Palestinian agriculture, supporting livelihoods across the occupied West Bank. The sector accounts for around 8 per cent of the Palestinian economy’s GDP and provides more than 60,000 jobs, according to the Palestinian Authority’s agriculture ministry.