Masked Settlers Attack European Diplomats in West Bank, Winding Escalation of Violence

Police in Israel launched an investigation on Saturday after masked settlers attacked a group of European diplomats, the archbishop of Cambrai, and a French mayor near the village of Taybeh in the occupied West Bank. The assailants reportedly confronted the group while they were visiting the area, with officials stating that three people were injured and a vehicle was damaged.

The incident took place just one day after Israeli settlers assaulted an American photographer for The Washington Post, who reportedly sustained broken vertebrae during the attack. This sequence of events highlights a surge in settler violence against Palestinians and Western observers in the region, particularly during the annual olive harvest season.

Belgium and France have formally condemned the attack on their diplomats and local officials. While the Israeli military labeled the incident a 'severe act of violence' and stated no soldiers were present at the scene, the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged caution before drawing conclusions. Netanyahu's office characterized the events as part of a 'coordinated campaign to smear Israel' and argued that the diplomatic delegation had entered a sensitive area without proper coordination with the military.