Israeli settlers attack European diplomats in West Bank

Masked Israeli settlers attacked a European diplomatic delegation visiting the West Bank village of Taybeh. The incident involved armed individuals who smashed a window on a Belgian consular vehicle and demanded identification from the occupants. The delegation included the French and Belgian consuls-general, a representative of Poland, Catholic Church representatives, and Bernard Baudoux, the mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France.

According to local and security sources, the group of masked men arrived in off-road vehicles and confronted the delegation as it left the village. Witnesses reported that Mayor Baudoux was knocked to the ground and assaulted during the incident, while other members of the group were threatened. Video footage from the scene showed the French mayor wearing his tricolor sash and leaning against a vehicle with a shattered window, alongside masked individuals carrying sticks nearby.

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Masked settlers attack diplomats in West Bank: Belgium

The assault has triggered widespread condemnation from Palestinian authorities, European governments, and Israeli officials. The Palestinian Foreign Ministry blamed the Israeli government for the escalation of organized settler violence. Palestinian Authority Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh condemned the attack and described the perpetrators as colonial terrorist gangs.

European foreign ministers reacted sharply to the violence. Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot condemned the attack and linked it to Israel's settlement policy, pledging to push for further European Union sanctions. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described the attack as heinous and demanded that Israeli authorities immediately arrest and try those responsible.

Israeli officials offered differing responses to the event. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the violence committed by Israeli rioters in the Taybeh area, stating that his ministry was in contact with the affected ambassadors. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office urged caution against premature conclusions and alleged that the reports were part of a coordinated campaign to smear Israel and its residents during the olive harvest.

The Israel Defense Forces stated that the diplomatic visit had not been coordinated in advance with the military and that no soldiers were present when the attack occurred because the call was routed to a divisional operations room handling security reports. Israeli army radio reported that security forces failed to respond to the location for three hours despite receiving footage and location details. Israel Police announced that an investigation has been opened to bring everyone involved to justice.

The incident occurred during the annual olive harvest season in the West Bank, which has seen an increase in violence. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least four people have been killed and more than 100 injured since the harvest began. The Palestine Liberation Organization's Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported numerous attacks by settlers and Israeli forces against farmers, land, and crops.

The situation follows a separate incident involving an attack on a Washington Post photographer who sustained injuries while covering the olive harvest near Abu Falah. Political figures within Israel have criticized the government's handling of the security situation, with opposition figures describing the actions of the settlers as Jewish terror.

Further developments are expected as Israeli police continue their investigation and international bodies monitor the diplomatic fallout.