Masked Israeli settlers attacked a group of European diplomats and Palestinian olive harvesters near the West Bank village of Taybeh on Saturday, October 17, according to Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot and the diplomats’ accounts. The delegation included Belgium’s consul general, French and Polish diplomats, and Catholic representatives who had come to see the olive harvest. Reports and video describe settlers surrounding the diplomats’ vehicles, throwing stones, and smashing the window of a Belgian consulate car, with Army Radio putting the number of attackers at about seven. French mayor Bernard Baudoux, who said he was on a goodwill visit, was assaulted and later told AFP the attack suggests the Israeli government tolerates settler violence. The incident came one day after Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was attacked by masked settlers in Abu Falah.

Israel’s military condemned what it called a severe act of violence, and police opened an investigation, but no suspects had been identified or arrested at the time of reporting. The IDF said no troops were present when the attack began, that soldiers later fired warning shots in the air to disperse the confrontation, and that the diplomats’ visit had not been coordinated with the army, a point Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also stressed while condemning the violence. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office urged caution before drawing conclusions, citing concerns about a coordinated campaign to smear Israel during the olive harvest and casting doubt on the circumstances of the attack. Belgium’s foreign minister condemned the assault in the strongest terms, tied it to Israel’s settlement policy, and vowed to push for sanctions on those responsible and those who support them. Taybeh, a Christian village, has been hit by settler violence before, including a July 2025 attack in which cars were burned, which adds to the pressure over how the harvest is protected.