Israeli Settlers Assault Palestinian Photographer

Published: 07 October 2026. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

A veteran Palestinian photographer working for Agence France-Presse was beaten and injured by armed Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank while covering violence against Palestinian olive farmers, according to witnesses, family members and fellow journalists.

Jaafar Ashtiyeh, 58, was assaulted near the northern West Bank village of Aqraba while reporting on escalating tensions surrounding the annual olive harvest. Witnesses said several armed settlers attacked him with the butts of their rifles even though he was clearly identified as a member of the press.

The assault reportedly took place within sight of a group of armed Israeli soldiers. Another AFP photographer who was present said the soldiers were several hundred metres away when the attack occurred.

Ashtiyeh suffered bruising to his head and torso and was taken to a hospital in Nablus. His son, Zain Jaafar, said doctors carried out X-rays that did not show broken bones, but medical staff decided to keep him under observation because of the injuries he had sustained.

The incident occurred as Palestinian farmers were harvesting olives, a period that has repeatedly been accompanied by violence and confrontations involving Israeli settlers in parts of the West Bank. Olive farming provides an important source of income for Palestinian families and also has deep cultural significance in Palestinian society.

The latest harvest season has been particularly tense, with the situation unfolding only weeks before Israeli elections. Palestinian communities and human rights organisations have reported repeated attacks, property damage and attempts to prevent farmers from reaching or harvesting their land.

Ashtiyeh and fellow AFP photographer John Wessels were working near Aqraba when they noticed an Israeli soldier detaining a man while Palestinian residents were collecting olives.

The situation then escalated rapidly. According to Wessels, a quad bike moved towards the journalists from a nearby hill. A man riding the vehicle opened fire, causing a Palestinian man to fall to the ground.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said the Palestinian was taken for medical treatment after suffering a gunshot wound to his foot.

The journalists were subsequently confronted by several other armed individuals. Wessels said at least six people moved towards the photographers while carrying firearms.

Ashtiyeh attempted to reach a vehicle that was visibly marked with the word “Press”. Two men reportedly approached him and repeatedly struck him with their rifle butts.

Wessels said he could hear his colleague screaming while the assault was taking place. He also said he was threatened at gunpoint during the incident.

The attackers reportedly took Ashtiyeh’s camera equipment before leaving the area. The loss of the equipment adds another dimension to the incident, as journalists working in conflict zones depend on their cameras and other equipment to document events and provide independent accounts from areas where tensions are high.

Wessels estimated that at least a dozen Israeli soldiers were approximately 500 metres from the location when the assault took place. The presence of soldiers has become a central point of concern for journalists’ organisations, which are demanding an explanation as to why no intervention took place.

The Israeli military has been asked to comment on the incident.

AFP Global News Director Phil Chetwynd condemned the assault and called for a full investigation. He said journalists should not be beaten or robbed by armed individuals while attempting to report from the West Bank, particularly when security forces are nearby.

The Foreign Press Association, which represents international journalists working in Israel and the Palestinian territories, also expressed concern. It called on Israeli authorities to investigate why soldiers who were reportedly present in the area did not intervene.

The organisation said the attack appeared to be an attempt to intimidate journalists and obstruct reporting from the West Bank. It stressed that international journalists had a responsibility to report developments from the region and would continue doing so despite threats and physical attacks.

The assault comes amid wider concerns over the safety of journalists covering the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Media rights organisations have repeatedly warned that journalists working in the West Bank face increasing restrictions, intimidation and violence.

According to figures cited by the United Nations Human Rights Office, Israel was the world’s leading killer of journalists in 2025. The UN has also reported that at least 225 journalists have been killed in Lebanon and Gaza.

The situation in the West Bank has deteriorated significantly in recent months, with Palestinian communities reporting frequent attacks, vandalism, theft and damage to property. Violence has also been directed at Israelis, including a fatal shooting of a settler by a Palestinian attacker last month.

Olive groves have increasingly become a focus of tensions. Palestinian families regard olive trees as an important cultural symbol and depend on the annual harvest for part of their household income. Reports of settlers entering or taking control of Palestinian-owned agricultural land have therefore generated particular concern among local communities.

The West Bank was captured by Israel in 1967 and is home to roughly three million Palestinians and about 500,000 Israeli settlers. The international community generally considers Israeli settlements in territory occupied since 1967 to be contrary to international law, a position Israel disputes.

The political and legal status of the West Bank remains one of the central unresolved issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For Palestinians living in rural communities, however, the dispute is often experienced through restrictions on movement, access to agricultural land and recurring confrontations.

Journalists working in the area face many of the same risks. Their presence can become contentious when they document confrontations involving settlers, Palestinian residents or Israeli security forces.

Reporters Without Borders has said that Israeli authorities detained 19 journalists in the West Bank during the three years following the Hamas-led attack of 7 October 2023. One of those detained was an AFP contributor.

Media organisations say such incidents can have a broader effect than the immediate injuries suffered by individual reporters. Physical attacks, threats and restrictions can discourage journalists from entering sensitive areas, potentially limiting independent reporting from communities affected by violence.

Ashtiyeh’s experience has consequently drawn attention beyond the immediate circumstances of the assault. He is an experienced photographer who has spent years documenting events in the Palestinian territories, and his injuries occurred while he was carrying out his professional duties.

His family said he remained conscious while receiving treatment in Nablus. Although initial X-rays did not reveal fractures, doctors planned to monitor him closely because of the blows to his head and body.

The incident has also raised questions about the conduct of security forces in areas where armed settlers and Palestinian residents come into confrontation. Journalists’ organisations are seeking clarification about what soldiers witnessed and what actions, if any, were taken.

The investigation will be closely watched by media groups, particularly as tensions in the West Bank remain high during the olive harvest. For journalists working in the region, the ability to report without intimidation or violence remains a fundamental condition for independent coverage.

The assault on Ashtiyeh has therefore become another stark reminder of the risks facing journalists in the West Bank. As Palestinian farmers continue their seasonal work and tensions remain elevated, calls for greater protection of reporters and accountability for attacks are likely to intensify.