Israeli Settlers Attack European Diplomats in West Bank, Sparking International Outcry

Masked Israeli settlers attacked a group of European diplomats, Palestinian civilians and a visiting French mayor in the occupied West Bank, prompting condemnation from European officials and an investigation by Israeli police.

The incident occurred on Saturday, October 17, near the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh, where diplomats and religious representatives had joined local residents during the annual olive harvest. The delegation included representatives from France, Belgium and Poland, according to reports by Reuters, The Associated Press and other international media.

Bernard Baudoux, the mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, said he was knocked to the ground during the assault. The group also threatened the Archbishop of Cambrai, Vincent Dollmann, and other members of the delegation. A vehicle belonging to the Belgian diplomatic mission was damaged, with its window smashed during the incident. The Guardian’s report from Taybeh⁠.

Palestinian residents were also reportedly assaulted. Witnesses said settlers attacked people participating in the olive harvest, including an elderly Palestinian woman, while a man sustained a head injury that required stitches. The incident comes amid a wider increase in settler violence during the harvest season, when Palestinian farmers depend on olives for income and face difficulties accessing their land.

Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Maxime Prévot, condemned the attacks against Palestinians, diplomats and journalists, saying that carrying out diplomatic duties or harvesting olives should never expose people to violence. Belgium has also continued to push for European Union sanctions against violent settlers, he said. The European Union separately issued a strong condemnation of the attack. Le Monde’s report on the EU response⁠.

Israeli police said they had opened an investigation after footage of the incident circulated online, pledging to identify those responsible. Israel’s military condemned the violence but said the delegation’s visit had not been coordinated with it and that no soldiers were present at the scene.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also condemned the attack, while arguing that advance coordination with the military could have helped protect the visitors. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office urged caution against drawing conclusions before the circumstances had been fully established.

The assault has renewed concerns about the safety of Palestinian communities, foreign diplomats and journalists in the West Bank. It followed a separate attack on Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, who was seriously injured while covering the olive harvest, according to international reports. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was disturbed by the footage and had urged Israel to take stronger action against settler violence. ABC News report, citing Reuters and AP⁠.

The incident adds to international scrutiny of Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. The United Nations and much of the international community consider Israeli settlements in the territory illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes.

European officials are now pressing for accountability, while Israeli police continue their investigation. No arrests had been announced in the reports available at the time of publication.