Israeli security forces detained approximately 80 volunteers, including Americans, Israelis, and Britons, near Nahalin in the West Bank. The military declared the area a closed military zone during the operation.
Brad Lander was among those held by the Israeli Defense Forces alongside a group of rabbis and volunteers. Lander was released with a warning after being held.
Jill Jacobs and 11 other American rabbis from T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights were also taken into custody. Detainees received water but were not provided with food.
Joshua Schoffman stated, "Just now, they told me that I’m being detained for the crime of olive harvesting." Schoffman added that the group complied with orders to stop and experienced no friction with security forces or settlers.
The group Protect the Harvest reported that volunteers were peacefully harvesting on private Palestinian land after being invited by a family. Lander, who posted about his journey to Palestine on Monday, said, "We were simply harvesting olives in a grove near Nahalin in the West Bank. The occupation is a crime under international law. Harvesting olives isn’t a crime under any law I know."
The mission aimed to protect the harvest and shed light on the reality of the occupation.
