West Bank Photographer Injured in Attack by Israeli Settlers During Olive Harvest
NABLUS, West Bank – An Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, was injured Friday while covering olive picking in the Palestinian town of Beita, in the northern west Bank.Ashtiyeh, a Palestinian photographer based in Nablus, reported being attacked by approximately 70 Israeli settlers armed with stones and sticks.
According to Ashtiyeh’s testimony, the incident occurred shortly after noon local time during a solidarity action involving Israeli and foreign peace activists supporting Palestinian olive farmers facing repeated settler attacks during the harvest season. He sustained bruises after being struck by stones in the back, arm, and hand, and received treatment at a local hospital. His car was also targeted, stoned, and subsequently set on fire.
“In thirty years of career, this is the first time that I have faced violence of this kind,” Ashtiyeh stated. “If I hadn’t managed to escape, they would have killed me.”
Ashtiyeh also alleges that Israeli soldiers present at the scene prior to the attack did not intervene to stop the settlers, instead dispersing the olive pickers and activists with tear gas and rubber bullets.
AFP Central Editor-in-Chief Mehdi Lebouachera strongly condemned the attack, stating, “We strongly condemn this scandalous attack which once again illustrates the increasingly risky working habitat for our journalists in the West Bank.” Lebouachera urged the Israeli army to protect journalists and ensure perpetrators of violence are brought to justice.
The Israeli army has not yet responded to AFP’s request for comment regarding the incident.
The attack occurred amidst a fragile ceasefire. According to civil defense reports, approximately 200,000 people have returned to the north of the Gaza enclave as the ceasefire came into force on Friday. The West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, frequently experiences tensions during the olive harvest season, a vital economic activity for many Palestinians.
