Masked settlers attack European diplomats in the occupied West Bank

On October 16, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians and set fire to olive trees during the annual olive harvest in the West Bank village of Abu Falah. About a dozen masked settlers charged down a hill near an illegal outpost and torched about a dozen olive trees while hurling stones at Palestinians with slingshots. Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine was also taken to a hospital after being "brutally attacked" by the settlers, who pushed her to the ground and stole her camera equipment.

The UN has reported that violent settler attacks have reached an all-time high this year, surpassing last year's total in just two weeks of harvest season. Rights groups accuse Israeli authorities of failing to prevent such incidents or holding perpetrators accountable, leading some to describe the violence as "ethnic cleansing." The incident occurred days before Israel’s national election on October 27th.

On October 17, a group of European diplomats, including Belgian and French officials, were attacked by masked settlers while visiting the West Bank. At least four Palestinians have been killed and over 100 injured since the olive harvest began earlier this month, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.