Masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians and a visiting group that included European diplomats near the Palestinian Christian town of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, October 17. The delegation was participating in an olive harvest intended to show solidarity with local farmers when the confrontation occurred.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot said Belgium’s consul general to the Palestinians, French and Polish diplomats, Catholic representatives and a French mayor were among those targeted. A Belgian vehicle was damaged. Reuters, the Associated Press, Deutsche Welle and the Guardian reported the incident, while Israeli police said they had opened an investigation after reviewing footage.
French mayor says he was thrown to the ground
Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, told Reuters that masked settlers attacked the group while they were harvesting olives near Taybeh. He said he was violently assaulted and thrown to the ground. Reports also described injuries among members of the visiting group, although no deaths were reported.
The diplomats were accompanied by local Palestinians and religious representatives. The gathering took place during the annual olive harvest, an important source of income for many Palestinian families. Attacks and obstruction during the harvest have intensified concerns about whether farmers and outside observers can safely reach groves in areas close to Israeli settlements.
Belgium’s foreign minister condemned the attack and said Israeli authorities, as the occupying power, must protect Palestinians as well as diplomats and journalists. He called for those responsible to be brought to justice and said Belgium would press for European Union measures against violent settlers and policies supporting settlement expansion.
Israeli police open investigation
Israeli police said they were investigating an alleged assault shown in footage circulating online. Israel’s military said the diplomats’ visit had not been coordinated with it and that no soldiers were at the location when the incident occurred. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the perpetrators as Israeli rioters, while also arguing that prior coordination could have helped protect the visitors.
Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh condemned the attack and described it as part of a wider pattern of violence against Palestinians. Israeli officials have repeatedly said violent settlers represent a minority. Palestinian residents and human-rights organisations dispute that characterisation and accuse authorities of failing to prevent attacks or deliver accountability.
Second high-profile attack in two days
The incident came one day after masked settlers attacked Palestinian olive harvesters elsewhere in the West Bank. Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was beaten during that assault despite wearing press identification and required hospital treatment. Israeli authorities and the United States called for an investigation into that case.
The Associated Press reported that settler violence had increased during the harvest season. Farmers have described attacks on people, vehicles, olive trees and harvested crops. The October 17 incident drew additional attention because diplomats from several European countries and a French elected official were present.
There was no verified indication at publication time that anyone had been arrested in connection with the Taybeh attack. The police investigation will need to determine the identities of the masked assailants, the sequence of events and responsibility for the damaged vehicle and reported injuries.
Accountability now the central issue
The accounts from Belgian officials, the French mayor and multiple news organisations agree on the central facts: a diplomatic and civilian delegation was confronted and attacked near Taybeh, a Belgian vehicle was damaged and Israeli police opened an investigation. Some details, including the precise number and condition of those injured, may change as authorities release further information.
The case will now test calls for protection during the olive harvest and for legal action against settler violence. Until the investigation is completed, claims about individual responsibility should remain limited to information confirmed by police or identified witnesses.
