Masked settlers attack European diplomats in the West Bank village of Taybeh. Here's what each government has said.

A group of masked Israeli settlers confronted a convoy of European diplomats on Saturday, October 17, in Taybeh, a mostly Christian Palestinian village near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to the BBC, AP and Politico Europe.

What happened

The delegation included diplomats from Belgium, France and Poland as well as representatives of the Catholic Church. They had gone to Taybeh to see conditions during the olive harvest, amid what the BBC described as near-daily settler attacks on Palestinians bringing in their crop.

Video from the scene shows masked men confronting the vehicles, and there were reports of stones being thrown. Belgian officials said one of their consulate's cars had a window smashed. A French mayor, Bernard Baudoux of Aulnoye-Aymeries (named by Netanyahu's office, per the BBC), was assaulted; video showed a man in a French mayor's tricolour sash slumped beside a car. Poland's foreign ministry said its diplomats were unharmed, according to The National.

What the European governments say

• Belgium: Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot condemned the assault on Belgium's consul general and the other envoys, said Israel must protect Palestinians, diplomats and journalists and bring the attackers to justice, and said Belgium will keep pushing for EU sanctions on those responsible.
• France: The foreign ministry said Sunday that Israeli authorities should arrest those responsible and end what it called "acts of terror," Politico reported. Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned the assault on the mayor.
• Poland: The foreign ministry said early evidence pointed to settlers and asked Israel for urgent, detailed explanations and accountability.
• European Union: A spokesperson condemned the attacks, noted that some Israeli officials had also condemned them, and said the EU expects full accountability and steps to prevent further violence.

What Israeli officials say

• The Israel Defense Forces condemned what it called a severe act of violence by "Israeli rioters" and said a preliminary inquiry found no soldiers were present at the time.
• Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the violence and said his ministry was in touch with the countries' ambassadors. He added that the visit hadn't been coordinated with the IDF in advance, and that coordination could have helped protect the visitors.
• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said violence against diplomats is unacceptable but urged caution before drawing conclusions, Politico reported. The BBC reported that the office also suggested the episode was part of a coordinated campaign to smear Israel.

The day before

On Friday, settlers injured several Palestinians and Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine in a separate attack in another West Bank village, the BBC reported. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called that attack disturbing, and U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called it a "despicable act of terror carried out by masked cowards" and said the assailants must face justice, the BBC reported.

What to watch

Israeli police said they arrested 10 Israeli suspects at dawn on Monday, October 19, in several locations in the central West Bank, on suspicion of involvement in the weekend's attacks, including the attacks on the diplomats and on the photojournalist, according to The Times of Israel and AP. Police said evidence linking them to the attacks was found in their possession and that the suspects would be brought before a court for a remand hearing, The Times of Israel reported. No one has been charged, and we're not naming the suspects.

Sources

• BBC News
• Associated Press
• Politico Europe
• The National
• The Times of Israel, October 19
• Associated Press, October 19

Drafted with AI assistance from primary sources. Written and edited by The Whole Read newsroom under Monsaur Othman's editorial standards. Read how we use AI, our editorial policy and our corrections policy.