European Diplomats Attacked by Israeli "Settlers" During Visit to Occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers attacked a European diplomatic delegation in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, assaulting a 78-year-old French mayor and damaging a Belgian diplomatic vehicle as violence against Palestinians and foreign journalists intensifies.

The delegation, traveling in vehicles from the French, Belgian and Polish diplomatic missions, was visiting Taybeh, a predominantly Christian Palestinian village, when masked settlers confronted the group.

Witnesses told AFP that the settlers had arrived to prevent Palestinian farmers from harvesting olives and subsequently directed threats and physical violence toward the visiting Europeans.

French Mayor Assaulted During Diplomatic Visit

Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, was kicked by settlers during the confrontation, according to witnesses and diplomats.

Two people who spoke with the mayor said he had sustained injuries but did not require hospitalization.

The incident also left a Belgian diplomatic vehicle damaged. Belgium's consul general was among the officials participating in the visit.

Belgium Condemns Settler Violence

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot condemned the assault, linking it to Israeli settlement policies in the occupied territory.

"Impunity for violent settlers must end," Prevot wrote 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."

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar also denounced the incident, describing those responsible as Israeli rioters.

However, Sa'ar criticized the diplomatic missions for failing to coordinate their visit with the Israeli military.

Journalists Targeted During Palestinian Olive Harvest

The attack comes amid a series of assaults on Palestinian farmers and international journalists documenting the olive harvest across the occupied West Bank.

On Friday, October 16, Israeli settlers severely beat American photojournalist Heidi Levine, who was working for The Washington Post, while she covered violence against Palestinian olive harvesters.

Levine was hospitalized in Ramallah after being knocked to the ground and repeatedly kicked.

Earlier, on October 6, settlers assaulted an AFP photographer during another incident in the West Bank, leaving the journalist injured and requiring hospital treatment.

Witnesses reported that the attackers fired live ammunition toward the AFP team.

The incidents have raised concerns over the safety of journalists covering Palestinian communities and settler violence in the occupied territory.

Press Access Restricted as Election Approaches

International media organizations have also faced continued restrictions on entering Gaza, where foreign journalists have been largely denied independent access since the war began in October 2023.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has recorded more than 200 journalists killed in Gaza by the Israeli military since the start of the conflict.

Meanwhile, the attacks in the West Bank come during the final days of Israel's election campaign, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has sought support from settler communities.

Netanyahu's response to the assault on The Washington Post photographer included suggestions that Palestinians or far-left activists shared responsibility.

The attack on European diplomats has drawn renewed attention to settler violence in the occupied West Bank, prompting international condemnation and calls for accountability.