Gaza Genocide10 October, 20252 min read
Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinian Olive Harvest, Injure AFP Photographer and Dozens
Israeli settlers and army forces injured 36 Palestinians during olive harvest attacks. AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh was seriously injured while covering the assault near Nablus.
11 outlets told this the same way.
Outlets did split on Israel Marks Oct. 7 Anniversary With Strikes on Gaza, Netanyahu Faces Election After Nova Tribute →
Violence During Olive Harvest
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian olive harvesters and journalists around Nablus, assaulting people with sticks and stones and setting cars on fire. Israeli soldiers on the scene fired at Palestinians instead of stopping the settlers. In Beita, roughly 70 settlers beat harvesters and reporters; AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh/Ishtayeh was injured and vehicles, including his, were torched.
“Around 70 settlers armed with sticks and stones assaulted olive pickers and journalists, with the Palestine Red Crescent Society treating seven injured individuals, including journalists Ishtayeh and Wahaj Bani Moufleh.”
The Palestinian Health Ministry said 36 people were treated, including two shot with live fire. Outlets also reported soldiers used tear gas and rubber bullets against Palestinians. West Asian outlets name the perpetrators as illegal settlers and directly tie Israeli military actions to the injuries recorded during the harvest attacks across Beita, Huwara, and Deir Sharaf.
Attack on Journalist and Response
AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh/Ishtayeh described the assault as unprecedented in his three decades of work. During the attack, settlers threw stones, injured him, and set his car and others on fire. AFP condemned the assault and called on the Israeli army to protect journalists and hold the perpetrators accountable.
West Asian media reported that Ashtiyeh feared for his life as settlers and soldiers injured dozens of people. These events highlight a recurring pattern of targeting journalists who cover settler attacks on Palestinian farmers.
West Bank Settler Attacks
The attacks spanned multiple villages—Beita, Huwara, Deir Sharaf, Aqraba, Al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, Amouriya/Ammuriya, and Kafr Ni’ma—aiming to sabotage the olive harvest that sustains Palestinian families. Reports note Israeli forces arrested six Palestinians amid the settler assaults, and soldiers used crowd-control weapons against Palestinians rather than stopping settler violence. West Asian coverage situates these incidents within a broader surge of Israeli military and settler attacks across the West Bank this year.
“The assaults aimed to disrupt the olive harvest, a period that typically sees increased settler violence.”
Violence and Injuries in Beita Area
Medical reports indicate 36 people were injured in and around Beita and nearby villages. At least two Palestinians were shot with live ammunition during the incidents. Other injuries included beatings, wounds from stones, and effects from tear gas inhalation.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society treated seven individuals on site, including two journalists. The Health Ministry reported that the total number of injured reached several dozen.
Israeli soldiers used tear gas and rubber bullets against Palestinians instead of intervening to stop settlers. Journalists and harvesters reported that settlers torched cars and caused injuries by throwing stones.
Settler Violence and Harvest Attacks
These attacks fit a broader pattern of settlers expanding under Israeli state support in the occupied West Bank. Authorities often fail to restrain settler violence, especially during the olive harvest that sustains Palestinian families. West Asian and other sources document harvest-season assaults, arrests by Israeli forces, and a wider record of Israeli killing of Palestinians.
“Israeli settlements, home to over 400,000 settlers across roughly 250 sites, continue to expand with government support, despite being considered illegal under international law.”
This includes massive death tolls in Gaza from Israeli attacks. Some other outlets use soft terms like “clashes” and “tensions,” while West Asian reporting explicitly attributes attacks to settlers and actions to the Israeli military.
