Israeli settlers beat press photographer as soldiers watch in West Bank

Armed Israeli settlers beat a photographer in the presence of Israeli soldiers, hospitalising him, as he covered worsening settler violence against olive farmers in the occupied West Bank.Jaafar Ashtiyeh, a 58-year-old veteran photographer for Agence France-Presse in Palestine, was assaulted by a group of settlers, who beat him with the butts of their rifles, despite him being marked as press. He was assaulted in view of about a dozen armed Israeli soldiers.Ashtiyeh suffered bruises to his head and torso and was taken to hospital, according to witnesses, his family and fellow journalists.His assault came amid a worsening wave of Israeli settler violence in the West Bank. Every year, settlers attack Palestinian farmers trying to harvest their olives – an economic lifeline for the beleaguered Palestinian economy – with few legal consequences.This harvest season has been particularly violent as the Israeli elections approach at the end of the month.Ashtiyeh and another AFP photographer, John Wessels, were near the northern village of Aqraba when they noticed an Israeli soldier detaining a man as local Palestinians picked olives.A quad bike suddenly raced towards the AFP journalists on top of a hill and a man on it opened live fire, with one Palestinian dropping to the ground. He was also hospitalised, with a gunshot to the foot, according to the Palestine-red-crescent-society" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="3963" data-entity-type="organization">Palestine Red Crescent Society.At least six other people then rushed towards the AFP journalists firing guns. As Ashtiyeh attempted to enter a car, which was clearly marked “Press”, two men jumped on him and beat him repeatedly with the butts of their rifles.A group of at least a dozen Israeli soldiers were about 500 metres away at the time of the attack, according to Wessels.“I could hear his screams,” said Wessels, who was also threatened at gunpoint. The assailants also took Ashtiyeh’s camera equipment.Ashtiyeh, who is Palestinian, was conscious in a hospital in Nablus. He underwent X-rays which did not detect broken bones but he will remain in hospital for round-the-clock observation, his son, Zain Jaafar, said.The man who initially fired the gun was wearing a long white shirt as well as military fatigue trousers and boots, which are commonly worn by soldiers, Wessels said.AFP has asked the Israeli military for comment. Settlers are rarely arrested or charged for their attacks against Palestinians.“We strongly condemn yet another serious attack on journalists trying to report on events in the West Bank and demand a full investigation. It is unacceptable that journalists can be beaten and robbed by armed settlers in front of Israeli security forces who made no attempt to intervene,” said Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s global news director.The Foreign Press Association, which represents international media in Israel and the Palestinian territories, said it was “deeply alarmed”.“Israeli authorities must investigate why soldiers present in the area did not intervene in this attack against clearly identified journalists,” it said.“This attack is a blatant attempt to intimidate the press and obstruct accurate reporting from the West Bank. International media have a responsibility to tell all sides of the story and will not be deterred by physical assaults or threats.”Israel was the world’s leading killer of journalists in 2025, and has killed at least 225 journalists in Lebanon and Gaza, according to the UN Human Rights Office.Violence has flared in recent months in the West Bank with near-daily attacks, thefts or vandalism by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.There have also been attacks against Israelis, with a Palestinian shooting dead a settler last month.Extremist Israeli settlers have been seizing olive groves owned by Palestinians, who consider the trees a cultural symbol.About 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank – which Israel captured in 1967 – among 3 million Palestinians. Settlements in occupied territory are illegal under international law.Media rights groups say Israeli settlers have increasingly targeted journalists and that authorities have imposed growing impediments to coverage.Israeli authorities have detained 19 journalists in the West Bank, including one AFP contributor, in the three years since the 7 October, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, according to Paris-based Reporters Without Borders.Agence France-Presse contributed reporting