STORY: Palestinian residents in the West Bank spoke about the rising prices of livestock as the holiday of Eid al-Adha approaches.

Many said they are finding it difficult to sell or buy sheep for slaughter, a tradition upheld for years during the annual Muslim holiday, which is one of Islam's two main festivals.

Eid al-Adha marks the climax of the annual Haj pilgrimage, when Muslims slaughter animals to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim, or Abraham, to sacrifice his son on God’s command, often distributing meat to the poor.

The prices have surged, vendors and farmers said, citing a rise in animal feed costs and heightened tensions in the West Bank and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

They added that Israeli settlers prevented some farmers living near Israeli settlements from herding their sheep in green pastures around them, while others said they had their livestock stolen by settlers.

During the past two months local residents said about 1,500 sheep and goats were taken by settlers, who drove the animals from the village under the eyes of police and soldiers or loaded them onto pickup trucks.

Settler attacks against Palestinian villages in the West Bank have intensified sharply since the Gaza war started, and new settlement building accelerated under the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

To control the high prices, the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy set a standard price for meat in the market and urged all vendors to abide by it, specifying that a kilogram of sheep be a maximum of 40 Shekels ($11.35).

The UNDP/PAPP (United Nations Development Programme / Programme of Assistance to the Palestinian People) has reported a sharp economic decline in the West Bank due to the ongoing conflict. A recent assessment warned of rapidly worsening conditions with the potential for major economic losses if the conflict continues.

The difficult economic situation in the West Bank has reduced the buying power of many Palestinians, according to the Palestinian economy ministry. Many workers, who were previously employed in Israel, have been laid off, further exacerbating the situation.

The West Bank, home to 2.8 million Palestinians and 670,000 Israeli settlers, is under Israeli military occupation with the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority exercising limited self-rule.

Ever since Hamas, the militant group controlling Gaza, attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Israel has barred Palestinian workers from the West Bank.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: PEOPLE AND FARMERS AT LIVESTOCK MARKET AHEAD OF EID AL-ADHA / SHEEP AND COWS AT FARM /COMMENTS FROM BUTCHERS, FARMERS AND RESIDENT ABOUT PRICES OF SHEEP AND CURRENT SITUATION IN WEST BANK

SENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: NABLUS, WEST BANK (MAY 26, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all) (PART MUTE)

1. DRONE VIEW SHOWING PEOPLE AND VEHICLES PARKED AT LIVESTOCK MARKET (MUTE)

2. WALKING SHOT SHOWING SHEEP AND PEOPLE AT MARKET

3. SHEEP

4. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AND SHEEP AT MARKET

5. FARMER AND SHEPHERD, MAAROUF KADOUSI, STANDING NEXT TO SHEEP AT MARKET

6. SHEEP AT MARKET

7. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FARMER AND SHEPHERD, MAAROUF KADOUSI, SAYING:

"The citizen does not have money, poor citizen, if the animal feed becomes cheaper then the sheep will also become cheaper, nobody supports the farmer, nothing. The settlers are preventing the sheep from leaving the shed. I am from Irak Burin (a Palestinian village near Nablus) go see the sheep shed, sheep are not allowed to leave the shed, they are not allowed. We have many mountains (for herding) but no one is allowed to go, the sheep stay where the animal feed is, it's not affordable for us. The farmer is consumed."

RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (MAY 24, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

8. BUTCHER, MOHAMMAD SHABAN SHARAKA, CARRYING ANIMAL FEED AT BARRACK

9. SHARAKA FEEDING SHEEP

10. VARIOUS OF SHEEP EATING

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BUTCHER, MOHAMMAD SHABAN SHARAKA, SAYING:

"Everything in life is supply and demand, currently here the supply is low, the demand is high and the price has risen for many reasons such as political reasons. Also, there are areas that are close to the settlements, where there used to be shepherds, people and farmers, the settlers came and took their sheep and stole them."

RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (MAY 29, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

12. SIGN ON SHOP READING (Arabic): "ABU DURGHAM BUTCHERY AND BARBECUE."

13. SHARAKA GETTING MEAT OUT OF THE FRIDGE

14. VARIOUS OF SHARAKA CUTTING MEAT

HEBRON, WEST BANK (MAY 30, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

15. VARIOUS OF SHEEP AT FARM

16. VARIOUS OF VENDOR AND OWNER OF BUTCHERY AND FARM, MOHAMMAD AL TAWIL, CHECKING SHEEP

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VENDOR AND OWNER OF BUTCHERY AND FARM, MOHAMMAD AL TAWI, SAYING:

"I always say that in this Eid Al-Adha people will sacrifice (slaughter) sheep but it won't be like every Eid. I used to sacrifice 300 to 400 sheep, today I might sacrifice around 100 sheep. This Eid the demand for slaughtering and buying sheep is very low."

18. VARIOUS OF COWS AT FARM

19. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) VENDOR AND OWNER OF BUTCHERY AND FARM, MOHAMMAD AL TAWIL, SAYING:

"The current war in Gaza, this is a main part, the economy was affected by the war, there are no workers allowed to go work in Israel, so the war on our people in Gaza, economy and the restrictions in the West Bank are major parts of the suffering of the Palestinian people."

20. VARIOUS OF BUTCHER, HASAN AL TAWIL, PREPARING MEAT

21. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) BUTCHER, HASAN AL TAWIL, SAYING:

"The ordinary citizen and worker cannot afford 1 kilogram of meat. Today we slaughter two to three sheep a week, we used to slaughter 20 every week, and sometimes 25."

22. VARIOUS OF MAN CUTTING MEAT

HEBRON, WEST BANK (JUNE 3, 2025) (REUTERS - Access all)

23. PEOPLE WALKING WITH SHEEP

24. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT LIVESTOCK MARKET

25. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEBRON RESIDENT, MAHMOUD ZARU, SAYING:

"Since last year and until today; because of the war that has been going for less than two years, now the prices vary and rise but the citizen does not have money to eat, so how can they sacrifice? The prices are higher than last year and people do not work. Today 1 kilograms is 9 JOD (Jordanian dinars) ($12.69), and me as a citizen, I cannot sacrifice (buy sheep)."

26. SHEEP

27. VARIOUS OF MEN CHECKING SHEEP

28. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEBRON RESIDENT, MAHMOUD ZARU, SAYING:

"Last year I was able to sacrifice but this year I do not have money to eat, I've been here walking around in the market since the morning and we're almost by the end of it and I couldn't find sheep to sacrifice in the price that I can afford."

29. MAN WALKING WITH SHEEP, AS SEEN FROM GATE

30. SHEPHERDS AND SHEEP