Five Italian activists have been detained by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank while accompanying Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest, prompting Italy's foreign ministry to demand their immediate release. The women were stopped in the village of al-Bweib, south of Hebron, together with other international activists.
Italy's embassy in Tel Aviv and its consulate general in Jerusalem contacted Israeli authorities as soon as they learned of the detentions, requesting urgent clarification on the circumstances and on the condition of the Italian nationals. The foreign ministry in Rome later confirmed that the five women were being held at a police station. According to ministry sources, the Israeli foreign ministry initially reported four detainees before correcting the figure to five.
The activists were taken to the police station in Kiryat Arba, where they were interrogated after their arrest. Israeli authorities have indicated that they could be released and expelled soon, but have given no guarantees. The Italian consulate has repeatedly asked to contact and meet the women, whose mobile phones were seized. Rome has stressed the lack of clarity surrounding the conditions of their detention as a further reason for demanding their release.
The detentions occurred during an action to protect Palestinian farmers engaged in the olive harvest. Israeli police said they detained eleven foreign activists and one Palestinian after the group attempted to pick olives in a closed military zone in the southern West Bank without prior coordination with the authorities, as required by law. Video footage from the area shows Israeli forces arresting the group, while other footage shows settlers attacking them and trying to destroy the olives they had collected.
The incident reflects a wider pattern in the West Bank, where Israeli and foreign activists have been arriving in growing numbers to try to shield Palestinian farmers, who regularly face attacks by settlers during the olive harvest. The olive season is a critical economic and cultural period for Palestinian communities, and the presence of international volunteers has become a common feature of the harvest in areas of frequent friction.
The case has drawn attention in Rome, where the foreign ministry is following developments closely through its diplomatic missions. The embassy in Tel Aviv and the consulate in Jerusalem remain in constant contact with Israeli authorities in an effort to secure a rapid resolution. For now, the five Italian women remain in custody, and their release has not been confirmed.