WEST BANK — European diplomats were assaulted by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank during an olive harvest, occurring just a day after a Washington Post photographer was beaten in the region.
The incident drew widespread international condemnation and heightened scrutiny over security conditions in the West Bank. Local reporting indicated the confrontation involved European officials monitoring or participating in seasonal agricultural activities alongside Palestinians.
In response to the diplomatic incident, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu subsequently warned of a campaign to smear Israel, stating there was no compelling evidence linking settlers to the attack against the European diplomats.
The confrontation follows a separate episode twenty-four hours earlier in which a photographer working for The Washington Post was beaten in the territory, compounding concerns over rising violence involving settlers and journalists or foreign nationals.