Wave of Israeli Settler Violence Hits US Journalists, Lawmakers and European Diplomats

European diplomats and officials were attacked on Saturday (Oct. 17) as Israeli settler violence has escalated across the occupied West Bank in recent weeks, coinciding with the olive harvest. The incidents come just weeks before Israel heads to elections on Oct. 27.

The European Union condemned the settler attacks on European diplomats and Palestinians in the West Bank on Sunday. A day earlier, a veteran American journalist working for The Washington Post was also brutally assaulted.

Below is a timeline of recent and past incidents in which Israeli settlers attacked foreign officials or prominent Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Oct. 17, 2026: European diplomats attacked near Taybeh village

Israeli settlers attacked European diplomats, including a French mayor, near the Palestinian village of Taybeh in the West Bank. The delegation was visiting Palestinian olive harvesters when a group of Israelis stopped them.

According to Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot, the attackers targeted Belgium's consul general, French and Polish diplomats and a Catholic representative. Prevot said a French mayor was assaulted and a Belgian vehicle was damaged, linking the incident to Israel's "illegal settlement policy" and vowing to push for further EU sanctions.

French Mayor Bernard Baudoux, who was attacked, told AFP the incident showed there is "tolerance from the Israeli government" toward settler violence. Video shared by activist Amit Orfali at the scene showed Baudoux sitting against a vehicle on dusty ground, while other clips captured masked youths repeatedly pounding on car windows and demanding identification, along with stick-wielding men approaching from a distance. Orfali said the masked group "threatened to kill us."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on Israel to arrest the "extremist settlers" who "violently assaulted" Baudoux and bring them to justice, and demanded an end to the violence and guarantees for civilian safety under international law. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office appeared to question the reports, calling them "allegations" that needed "convincing evidence," even while acknowledging footage of the incident existed.

The EU said it noted positively that some Israeli representatives condemned the attacks, but demanded full accountability and effective measures to prevent violence and harassment targeting Palestinians, including during the olive harvest, as well as journalists.

Oct. 16, 2026: American journalist Heidi Levine assaulted

Palestinian farmers harvesting olives and veteran American journalist Heidi Levine, 64, who works as a freelancer for The Washington Post, were brutally attacked by settlers. Witnesses said Levine fell to the ground before being surrounded and beaten.

Independent journalist Jasper Nathaniel, who witnessed the attack, told Al Jazeera that Levine was punched, struck, robbed, pulled to her feet and then beaten and kicked again. Levine later told reporters her attackers "just kept kicking me, probably about 50 times." She was wearing protective gear marked "PRESS" on both the front and back; her camera and phone were taken during the attack.

According to Nathaniel, when the settlers briefly pulled back, he and others reached Levine but she struggled to stand. As they moved her toward medics, the settlers rushed forward again, throwing stones. The journalist was eventually taken to a hospital in Ramallah.

Nathaniel said Israeli soldiers arrived after the attack, opened fire and used tear gas against Palestinians, shooting one man in the leg. According to him, the soldiers did not intervene to stop the settlers, but instead pointed their weapons at medics helping the wounded and shoved journalists, including himself. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces fired live ammunition and tear gas during the incident.

Netanyahu's office said the circumstances surrounding the attack "remain unclear" and issued a conditional condemnation, saying there were "serious questions" and that an investigation was needed to "establish the truth, including who initiated the violence."

Oct. 6, 2026: AFP photographer beaten with rifle butt

Israeli settlers beat AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh, 58, with a rifle butt near Aqraba, south of Nablus. According to witnesses, family and colleagues, he suffered bruises to his head and body and was taken to hospital by ambulance. AFP photographer John Wessels was present when the incident occurred.

AFP reported that a four-wheel-drive vehicle drove toward the journalists and one person opened fire, after which at least six others rushed in and fired shots. As Ashtiyeh tried to get into a vehicle clearly marked "Press," two people jumped on him and struck him repeatedly with rifle butts. Wessels, who was also threatened with a gun, said he could hear his colleague screaming. Ashtiyeh's camera equipment was taken; the Israeli military did not respond to AFP.

July 11, 2026: US lawmaker Ro Khanna held by armed settlers

US Congressman Ro Khanna said he and his delegation were detained by Israeli settlers carrying rifles during a trip to Palestine. On X, Khanna accused the Israeli military of siding with the settlers and continuing to hold the group.

Khanna, a Democratic lawmaker weighing a 2028 US presidential run, told Reuters that "thugs... carrying machine guns" had held his group the day before, blocking the road and calling in the Israeli military, which sided with them. He said the settlers carried US-made assault rifles.

In an interview, Khanna said the experience in the occupied West Bank and Israel was the first time he had "really been conscious of my skin color," and criticized the arrogance of young settlers as well as Israeli soldiers. The Israeli military disputed his account, saying it "dispersed" civilians blocking the road; Israeli officials ruled out apologizing to Khanna or assigning blame to the settlers.

Three months after the incident, Khanna called Netanyahu a "liar" after the Israeli prime minister's office issued a statement about the attack on journalist Heidi Levine.

November 2025: Canadian and Italian activists injured in Jericho

According to local sources cited by Anadolu, a Canadian activist and three Italian activists were injured by illegal Israeli settlers in the village of Ein ad-Duyuk in the Jericho governorate of the central West Bank. Settlers stormed a Bedouin community where the activists were staying and attacked them; three were moderately injured and one seriously. Their passports, phones and belongings were also taken.

July 2025: Activist Awdah Hathaleen shot dead

Palestinian activist and English teacher Awdah Hathaleen, who helped make the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," was shot dead on July 28, 2025, in the village of Umm al-Khair in the Masafer Yatta area of the West Bank. The 31-year-old father of three fell as people ran to help him; an ambulance from the nearby illegal Carmel settlement took him away.

Footage released by Israeli human rights group B'Tselem appeared to show suspect Yinon Levi shooting Hathaleen during a confrontation in the village. Despite the video evidence and the fact that the EU and US had previously sanctioned Levi over past attacks on Palestinians, Israeli authorities released him on bail. US President Donald Trump also lifted sanctions on Levi and other settlers accused of extremist violence after taking office in January 2025.

July 2024: Foreign volunteers beaten while helping farmers

Israeli settlers attacked a group of foreign volunteers helping Palestinian farmers in the West Bank. David Hummel, a German-American in the group, told AFP that eight mostly American volunteers working with farmers in an olive grove near the village of Qusra were attacked, beaten with sticks and metal pipes, and pelted with stones. Hummel was struck in the leg, arm and jaw.

The Israeli military condemned the violence, saying soldiers were dispatched to the scene and fired warning shots into the air, causing the settlers to flee the area.