Soon after the harvesters arrived, around 6:30 a.m. local time, a small band of settlers from the Tapuah settlement arrived and immediately began throwing stones and shooting at the Palestinians. Some internationals attempted to calm the violent settlers, while others filmed the scene with digital cameras. The entire group of harvesters then staged a sit-in in the groves, remaining quiet and peaceful as they waited for Israeli police to come. The settlers eventually left of their own volition, and the Palestinians were able to complete a day of harvesting.

The previous day, Wednesday, a smaller group of farmers and activists attempted to harvest, but were driven away by settlers from the Tapuah settlement. Soldiers then declared the groves a "closed military zone" and prevented anyone from returning. The DCLs (District Coordinating Liason) of the Palestinian and Israeli communities then negotiated with the soldiers. The resulting agreement: soldiers would come onThursday to protect the Palestinians as they picked olives.In this agreement alone lies a victory. In agreeing to protect the
Palestinians, the soldiers acknowledged two crucial things: that the settlers pose a threat to he Palestinians, and that the land belongs to the Palestinians.

After the successful harvesting, a soldier told the departing Palestinians,
"Today, you've won."