Masked Israeli settlers attack European delegation during West Bank olive harvest

Masked Israeli settlers attacked a delegation of European diplomats and officials near Taybeh in the occupied West Bank on Saturday as the group visited Palestinian olive harvesters, according to multiple reports.

The delegation included representatives from Belgium, France and Poland, as well as Catholic officials. Bernard Baudoux, mayor of the French town of Aulnoye-Aymeries, was knocked to the ground, while a window of a Belgian consular vehicle was smashed. Palestinians harvesting nearby were also assaulted, The Guardian reported, including an elderly woman and a man who required stitches for a head injury.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot condemned the attack and called for those responsible to be prosecuted. France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, urged Israeli authorities to arrest the settlers involved.

The Israel Defense Forces condemned what it called a severe act of violence and said the incident was under investigation. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar also condemned the attackers, describing them as “Israeli rioters,” while noting that the delegation’s visit had not been coordinated with the military. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office questioned accounts of the incident and described them as part of a campaign to smear Israel.

The assault followed a separate settler attack Friday near Abu Falah that injured Palestinians and Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine. The UN humanitarian office said nearly 200 settler attacks connected to this year’s olive harvest had caused casualties or property damage, surpassing the 185 incidents recorded during the entire 2025 season. It said one Palestinian had been killed, more than 120 injured and over 2,500 trees or saplings damaged.