Masked settlers attacked European diplomats and French mayor Bernard Baudoux near the Palestinian village of Taybeh, damaging a Belgian consular vehicle
The assault followed an attack on Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine while she was covering Palestinian olive harvesters near Ramallah.
Belgium called for EU sanctions against those responsible and their supporters, while Israeli police opened an investigation into the diplomatic delegation attack
A group of masked men identified as Israeli settlers attacked European diplomats and a French mayor in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, damaging a Belgian consular vehicle and knocking a diplomat to the ground, according to Belgian officials and Palestinian state media.
The incident came a day after American photojournalist Heidi Levine was seriously injured in an attack by settlers while covering the olive harvest.
Diplomats Targeted
The attack took place near the Palestinian Christian village of al-Taybeh, east of Ramallah, as a delegation from several European diplomatic missions attempted to reach the area, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said the delegation included Belgium’s consul general to the Palestinians, French and Polish diplomats, and Catholic representatives. The group was also accompanied by Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, who said he was attacked while harvesting olives in solidarity with the local community..
Palestinian sources said the assailants smashed a window of a Belgian consular vehicle and demanded that diplomats and passengers show their identity cards. Video footage showed a consul being knocked down.
“As the occupying power, Israeli authorities must protect Palestinians, ensure the safety of diplomats and journalists, and bring those responsible to justice,” Prevot said in a statement posted on X. He added that Belgium would press for European Union sanctions against those responsible for the violence and their supporters.
Journalist Assaulted
The incident followed an attack on Friday in Abu Falah, near Ramallah, where masked settlers assaulted Palestinians harvesting olives. Levine, a US citizen working as a photographer for The Washington Post, was hospitalised after being attacked while covering the harvest. Reuters reported that at least two people were injured in the incident.
Israeli police said they had opened an investigation into the attack on Saturday’s diplomatic delegation. No arrests had been announced at the time of the report.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the perpetrators as “Israeli rioters” but said the diplomats should have coordinated their presence in the area with the Israeli military, arguing that this could have helped protect their safety.
International Condemnation
The European Union strongly condemned the latest attacks, including those targeting diplomats. In a statement, the bloc said it expected full accountability and effective measures to prevent further violence and harassment against Palestinians and journalists, particularly during the olive harvest season.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also called for action. “We're very disturbed by those images and what we're seeing,” he told reporters on Saturday, adding that Washington had asked Israel to “crack down” on settler violence.
Israeli settler attacks have increased during the annual olive harvest. Yesh Din, an Israeli settlement-monitoring group cited by Reuters, recorded at least 170 attacks on Palestinians since September 27.
The latest incidents have renewed international scrutiny of settler violence in the occupied West Bank and demands for investigations and accountability.
