In January, the Union of Agricultural Work Committees (UAWC) issued an urgent appeal to the international community, drawing attention to the escalation of Israeli violence in the West Bank, amid plans to annex 30% of the territory. Following a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, the West Bank has become the new focal point of the crisis. Taking advantage of the impunity it has enjoyed in Gaza-where genocide and the weaponisation of food have been deployed under the pretext of combating Palestinian armed groups-Israel is now deepening its violent seizure of Palestinian lands.The illegal annexation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is being carried out through the systemic replacement of Palestinian communities with Israeli settlers. As the UAWC points out, the agricultural heart of Palestine lies in Area C of the West Bank, which is under direct Israeli military control. Here, 58,000 Palestinians face the imminent threat of forced displacement. According to the UN, between October 2023 and November 2024, nine new settlements and 49 new outposts were built on Palestinian land-a staggering 193% increase compared to the previous year. During the same period, more than 1,600 Palestinian homes were demolished, and by January 2025, the number of military checkpoints and iron gates had risen to nearly 900.A central pillar of Israel's land-grabbing strategy is the use of settler violence to prevent Palestinian farmers from accessing their farmland and pasture. With calls for a "second Nakba" growing louder, attacks on Palestinian communities have soared. A recent delegation from La Via Campesina documented the confiscation of more than 5,000 hectares of Palestinian land since 7 October 2023. Their findings also revealed the systemic destruction of Palestinian rural livelihoods through home demolitions, land seizures and restrictions on water access.Another dimension of Israel’s apartheid system, as documented by Who Profits, is the expansion of Israeli agribusiness operating in illegal settlements in the West Bank and the occupied Syrian Golan. These companies benefit from tax incentives, cheap labour from dispossessed Palestinian farmers and lax environmental regulations. Among them are: Netafim and Rivulis (irrigation), Afimilk (dairy), CBC Group (Coca-Cola Israel), Adama and Haifa Chemicals (pesticides), ICL (fertilisers), Hazera (seeds) and Tahal (water infrastructure). Although some operate under Mexican, Dutch, French, Chinese or US flags, they serve as leverage in Tel Aviv's strategy of expanding markets for Israeli corporations and often part of official government delegations. These companies also play a key role in promoting industrial agriculture in other Global South countries, undermining local food systems far beyond Palestine.Despite the genocide in Gaza and the escalating violence in the West Bank, the resilience of the Palestinian people has inspired the world. Palestinian farmers, in particular have long been at the forefront of resistance, a role they have played since before the Nakba. This is precisely why they are a primary target for Israel.At the time of writing, the world has been stunned by the outrageous proposal of the U.S. President to ethnically cleanse Gaza. This proposal not only legitimises Israel's systematic displacement of Palestinians but also reflects a desperate response to the global wave of solidarity with Palestine. The Palestinian people have made their stance clear: they will not be de-rooted from their land.GRAIN stands in solidarity with movements in Palestine and around the world. With them we call for an immediate end to military operations and settler violence, for accountability through measures such as arms and trade embargoes, as well as support for ongoing cases at the International Court of Justice. We support the demands of civil society, social movements and trade unions to boycott trade deals with Israel and suspend existing agreements, such as the Free trade Agreement with the European Union. We reaffirm our commitment to the Palestinian struggle for decolonisation and support all efforts to boycott, divestment from and sanction Israel, Israeli companies, and corporations operating in the Occupied Territories.Photo: Palestinian farmers thrown out of their land at Susia South Hebron Hills, June 5, 2013. Tal King- Flickr