US and France Condemn Israeli Settler Attacks on Diplomats and Journalists in West Bank
Washington and Paris Demand Israeli Action Against West Bank Settler Violence During Olive Harvest
On October 18, 2026, the United States and France issued sharp criticisms of escalating settler violence in the occupied West Bank, demanding that Israeli authorities take decisive action against groups targeting Palestinian farmers, journalists, and international delegations. aljazeera.net reported that the diplomatic pressure peaked during the annual olive harvest, coinciding with a series of violent incidents that injured foreign nationals and local residents. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated in comments made before boarding a plane bound for Uzbekistan that the United States expects to receive a response from the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem by Sunday. Rubio added that U.S. President Donald Trump does not want the current situation in the West Bank to continue, and clarified that lifting sanctions on settlers previously does not mean he supports what he watches on television or reads about concerning West Bank events.
United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio declared that Washington demanded strict measures from Israel to curb settler attacks. Rubio expressed deep concern over the assault on Heidi Levine, a veteran photojournalist for the Washington Post, who sustained back fractures and injuries after being beaten by settlers near the village of Abu Falah. alarabiya.net noted that U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Hakabi labeled the attack on the un-armed journalist a despicable terrorist act committed by masked cowards, demanding that perpetrators face prison sentences. Levine was taken to the hospital following the attack, which occurred while she was covering olive harvest violence near the towns of Turmus Ayya and Khirbet Abu Falah, and her condition was reported on Saturday as moderate. Previously, the U.S. State Department condemned criminal violence in the West Bank on Friday without directly mentioning the attack on Levine by Israeli settlers. Ambassador Hakabi noted in his post that the identity of those responsible remains under investigation, but that those who attacked an unarmed journalist must spend years in prison and called for a thorough investigation, arrest, and prosecution of everyone involved to the fullest extent of the law.
Contrasting accounts emerged regarding accountability on the ground. While the United Nations reported that the first two weeks of the harvest witnessed a higher volume of violent settler attacks than the entirety of the previous year according to bbc.com, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu questioned the identity of those responsible for the attack on Levine, suggesting that Palestinians or far-left activists might be behind it. The UN also reported that settler attacks during this year’s olive harvest have so far resulted in one Palestinian death and more than 120 injuries across the West Bank, while local officials reported that 12 Palestinians were injured in the Abu Falah area alone, including four holding dual Palestinian and American citizenship, alongside an injured foreign journalist and a local resident named Majdi Alqam, whose face was stained with blood, and Majdi Fahed, who recounted being attacked while harvesting olives.
Diplomatic Delegations Targeted Near Ramallah
The diplomatic fallout widened after a convoy carrying European diplomats was attacked by settlers near Ramallah. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barot described the assault as appalling, noting that Bernard Boudault, the 78-year-old mayor of Oulnoy-Amier, suffered severe physical abuse during the incident. aljazeera.net confirmed that French authorities demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible. Barot stated in a post on the X platform that Israel must urgently put an end to this criminal violence and guarantee civilian security under its obligations in international law, confirming that French authorities are in contact with Boudault.
An anonymous European diplomat within the targeted convoy rejected Israeli assertions regarding the circumstances of the assault, emphasizing that the facts are clear and the delegation was indeed attacked, as reported by aljazeera.net. The diplomat questioned why they were asked about coordination when the State of Israel is responsible for security in Area B, asking why people and diplomats are attacked, and why olives cannot be harvested without facing attacks.
Agricultural Livelihoods and Escalating Casualties
The violence directly threatens the seasonal olive harvest, which serves as the primary economic lifeline for thousands of Palestinian families across the West Bank. According to bbc.com, field reporters witnessed agricultural arson and injured civilians arriving at medical facilities following clashes near farming communities. sabq.org reported that over 50 masked individuals participated in the attack on the American photojournalist, stripping her of personal equipment and identification documents. A BBC reporting team witnessed an attack in agricultural lands near Abu Falah where dozens of masked settlers attacked Palestinians and set fire to cars and olive trees. BBC journalists encountered a stream of cars carrying injured Palestinian olive farmers fleeing down a narrow, rocky road filled with olive harvesting equipment while smoke pillars rose from nearby fires. At the scene, an elderly local resident named Umm Khaldoun, 73, watched the speeding cars and asserted that she would always return to her land no matter what happen, stating that it is her land and her right to be there. Palestinian farmers have taken to harvesting olives with extreme speed at sunrise to strip trees before settlers can attack.
Palestinian official bodies, including the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, documented that 45,000 trees suffered cutting or damage in the West Bank during the first half of the year, including more than 26,000 olive trees. Outside of East Jerusalem, approximately three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967, alongside more than 500,000 Israelis living in settlements considered illegal under international law. Jewish outposts have increased significantly in recent years, pushing closer to Palestinian olive groves.
IDF Investigates Assaults on Foreign Diplomats
The Israel Defense Forces announced formal investigations alongside police authorities to identify the perpetrators behind the assaults on foreign diplomats. During the confrontation, settlers used slingshots to throw stones, young Palestinians threw stones in response, and Israeli forces subsequently arrived, with settlers running down toward the group as farmers retreated, before Israeli forces fired tear gas into Palestinian fields to end the confrontation, though it remained unclear whether settlers or Israeli forces fired live rounds.