OMM Newsroom
Israeli settlers attacked a diplomatic delegation from France, Belgium and Poland on Saturday while it was visiting Taybeh in the central occupied West Bank, injuring several people, according to Anadolu Agency.
The attack followed a ceremony marking the signing of a twinning agreement between Taybeh and the French town of Saint-Pierre, Taybeh Mayor Suleiman Khourieh told the agency.
Those attending the ceremony included the French and Belgian consuls, a Polish representative whose name was not disclosed, and Saint-Pierre Mayor Christian Ravain.
The delegation was targeted in the western part of Taybeh, along with Palestinians picking olives. Several town residents were injured, and a window of a vehicle belonging to the Belgian delegation was shattered, Khourieh said.
Israeli Army Radio, citing witnesses and footage, also reported that settlers threw stones at one of the diplomatic vehicles, breaking a window. Footage showed a member of the delegation lying on the ground after the attack. The broadcaster identified him as Bernard Boudot, a French politician and mayor of Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes in northern France.
“Channel 12” reported, citing the Israeli military, that the incident was “under review” and that no one had been arrested immediately.
Khourieh called the attack “a flagrant violation of the sanctity of diplomatic and humanitarian work” and said it was part of ongoing restrictions imposed on Palestinian farmers.
Attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their land have intensified during the olive harvest, which began in early October and provides a key source of income for thousands of Palestinian families.
