EU condemns West Bank settler attacks targeting diplomats, Palestinians during olive harvest

The European Union "strongly condemns" attacks by extremist settlers in the West Bank, including attacks against European diplomats, the bloc's foreign policy spokesperson said on Sunday.The statement came a day after Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians, European diplomats and a French mayor in the West Bank."We take positive note of statements by several Israeli representatives who condemned the attacks, but we expect full accountability as well as effective measures to prevent continued acts of violence and violent harassment against Palestinians, including during the ongoing olive harvest season, as well as against journalists," the EU spokesperson said.The incident in question included a group of European diplomats who claimed to have been attacked by Jewish settler extremists on Saturday.Netanyahu cautioned against ongoing 'campaign to smear Israel'Following the report, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement saying that "serious accusations require serious evidence."Masked men reportedly attacked European diplomats in the West Bank."We urge caution before drawing conclusions from today's reports that European diplomats were attacked by masked Israelis in Judea and Samaria. Any violence against diplomats is unacceptable. The more serious the accusation, the greater the demand for compelling evidence," the Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.The statement by Netanyahu also claimed that the reports come amid a "coordinated campaign to smear Israel and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria during the annual olive harvest, relying on sensational headlines before the full facts emerge."The Prime Minister's Office: ALLEGED ATTACK ON EUROPEAN DIPLOMATS: SERIOUS ACCUSATIONS REQUIRE SERIOUS EVIDENCE. We urge caution before drawing conclusions from today's reports that European diplomats were attacked by masked Israelis in Judea and Samaria. Any violence against diplomats is unacceptable. The more serious the accusation, the greater the demand for compelling evidence. Here is what we know: - The diplomatic delegation entered a sensitive area with a history of confrontations without prior coordination with the IDF, as officially confirmed by the military. Such coordination is essential to protecting visiting diplomats and preventing violence. - The visit included Bernard Baudoux, a French Communist Party mayor who previously raised the Palestinian flag over his municipal building, prompting French authorities to order its removal. - Published footage shows masked individuals confronting a diplomatic vehicle. Separate images show a smashed window and a person lying on the ground. These images alone do not establish the complete sequence of events or individual responsibility. Those circumstances remain under investigation. - Israeli police and forensic investigators have launched an investigation to establish the facts and identify those responsible. These reports come amid concerns about a coordinated campaign to smear Israel and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria during the annual olive harvest, relying on sensational headlines before the full facts emerge. We may see further allegations in the coming days. By the time the evidence is fully examined, the reputational damage from premature conclusions may already be done. We call on the public and responsible journalists to demand verifiable evidence, reject hearsay, and refuse to turn unproven allegations into a collective indictment of the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria.— Prime Minister of Israel (@IsraeliPM) October 17, 2026"We may see further allegations in the coming days. By the time the evidence is fully examined, the reputational damage from premature conclusions may already be done," the statement continued, adding that the PMO has "called on the public and responsible journalists to demand verifiable evidence, reject hearsay, and refuse to turn unproven allegations into a collective indictment of the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria."