West Bankupdated 43m ago3 min read
Israeli Settlers Attack European Diplomats Near Taybeh During West Bank Olive Harvest
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Masked Israeli settlers attacked European diplomats near Taybeh, West Bank during olive harvest, injuring several. French mayor beaten; Belgian vehicle damaged; IDF condemned the assault.
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Taybeh convoy attacked
Masked Israeli settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats near the Palestinian village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank during the olive harvest, and Belgium said the assault included its consul general, French and Polish diplomats and Catholic representatives. Bernard Baudoux, the French mayor who was assaulted, told AFP that the attack suggests that "there is a tolerance on the part of the Israeli government" towards settler violence.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said, "A French mayor was assaulted and a Belgian vehicle damaged," and he linked the attack to what he called Israel’s "illegal settlement policy" while pledging to push for further European Union sanctions. The Israel Defense Forces condemned what it called the "severe act of violence" and said that "no IDF soldiers were present at the scene at the time of the attack," while Netanyahu’s office urged "caution before drawing conclusions" and said the images on social media "do not establish the complete sequence of events or individual responsibility."
Netanyahu questions, diplomats insist
Netanyahu’s office cast doubt on the reports of the attack on the Europeans, saying on X that they are "alleged" and require "compelling evidence," despite acknowledging that published footage exists. A European diplomat responded to Netanyahu’s skepticism by telling the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, "The facts are clear, we were attacked," and the diplomat added, "It is not our fault that this is what happened, why should people in the area be attacked?"
The European diplomat also said the State of Israel is responsible for security in the area designated as (C), and the Anadolu Ajansı account tied that to the Oslo Accords division of the West Bank into A, B and C. Belgian condemnation and Israeli investigation continued as the Israel Police launched an investigation following footage circulating online that appears to show diplomats being attacked near Taybeh, with the statement saying efforts were underway to identify suspects "with the aim of bringing them to justice."
Harvest season and wider violence
The attack came as Israeli settlers and forces continued to disrupt the olive harvest across the occupied West Bank, with Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh saying settlers had surrounded the diplomats’ vehicles, then pelting them with stones and smashing their windows. Al Jazeera’s Odeh also said, "There have been 300 documented attacks since the beginning of October," and she linked the danger to soldiers and settlers as military forces routinely intervene to protect settlers and attack Palestinians defending their land.
The Anadolu Ajansı account described how the olive harvest season, which it said began in early October, provides a major livelihood for thousands of Palestinian families, while it cited Palestinian figures that there are about 750,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, across 194 settlements and about 400 outposts. The stakes broadened further as the attack followed an earlier assault in which settlers assaulted a US journalist north of Ramallah, and the BBC said the diplomats had come to Taybeh to assess the situation on the ground after almost near daily attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians trying to bring in their olive harvest.