Israeli settlers attack European diplomatic cars in West Bank and beat French mayor, say witnesses

An Israeli settler moves with his donkey toward the Palestinian-Bedouin compound belonging to the Kaabneh family on the outskirts of the West Bank town of Taybeh, October 1, 2026. LEO CORREA / AP PHOTO/LEO CORREA Israeli settlers on Saturday, October 17, attacked a convoy of European diplomats and beat up a visiting French mayor, in an escalation of recent violence during the Palestinian olive harvest, witnesses and diplomats told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Cars from the French, Belgian and Polish missions had brought diplomats to visit Taybeh, a largely Christian village in the occupied West Bank, when settlers descended to stop Palestinians from gathering olives, witnesses said. Masked settlers made aggressive statements toward the diplomats before kicking Bernard Baudoux, 78, the leftist mayor of the northern French town of Aulnoye-Aymeries, according to witnesses and diplomats who confirmed his identity. Video footage seen by AFP showed Baudoux, wearing a sash in the French tricolour, slumped on the ground against a car. Two people who spoke to him said that he was hurt but did not need to go to hospital. The West Bank has seen an especially violent olive harvest season as Israeli settlers try to physically stop Palestinians from gathering their crops. On Friday, settlers seriously injured an American photographer for The Washington Post as she covered the harvest, and last week settlers beat up an AFP photographer. The violence comes during the final days of an election campaign in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has championed settlers as he seeks their support in the upcoming poll. Read more Subscribers only Pressure and violence against journalists intensify in Israel Belgium's foreign minister on Saturday condemned "in the strongest terms" the attack, which left a Belgian car damaged. "Impunity for violent settlers must end," Minister Maxime Prevot said on X. "This violence cannot be separated from Israel's illegal settlement policy. Belgium condemns settlement expansion and attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land." He said the Belgian consul general was among those in the delegation. Israel quickly condemned the attack on the diplomatic convoy, in contrast to Netanyahu's response to the attack on the Washington Post photographer, in which he suggested that Palestinians or "far-left" activists shared blame. "I strongly condemn the severe acts of violence by Israeli rioters," Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said. However, Saar also criticised the consulates, saying they did not coordinate the trip with the military. Partner service Learn French with Gymglish Thanks to a daily lesson, an original story and a personalized correction, in 15 minutes per day. Try for free Israeli police said that they had launched an investigation. "Efforts are underway to locate the victims, collect testimonies, and identify the suspects, with the aim of bringing them to justice," a police statement said. Le Monde with AFP