Israeli Settlers Attacked Palestinians Picking Olives In The West Bank, Injuring 15, Including Five Journalists
Among the 15 injured were Reuters journalist Raneen Sawafta, foreign activists and local residents.
A group of masked illegal Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in the occupied West Bank, injuring many people, including five journalists who were helping.
Palestinian villagers, activists and journalists had gathered to harvest olives near the village of Beita, south of Nablus, in the West Bank on Saturday, Nov. 8, when about 50 Israeli settlers came armed with sticks, clubs, stones and sharp objects to attack them.
The settlers injured about 15 people, including five journalists, foreign activists, paramedics and local residents.
Among the journalists injured was Reuters journalist Raneen Sawafta.
"At some point, they caught on to Reuters journalist Raneen Sawafta, and without mercy, continued to stone her while she was on the ground, and then continued to attack everyone who tried to come to her help," Israeli activist Jonathan Pollak, who witnessed the attack, said.
Witnesses said no soldiers were present during the attack.
The incident is part of a broader pattern of rising Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank, particularly during the olive harvest season, with over 760 attacks recorded in October alone.
The attacks are intended to intimidate Palestinians and eventually drive them from their land so settlers can illegally seize it.
The vast majority of the attacks go unpunished and many are not even investigated, according to the Israeli civil rights group Yesh Din.
Earlier, on Oct. 19, illegal Israeli settlers beat a 55-year-old Palestinian woman Afaf Abu Alia while she was harvesting olives near the Turmus Sayya village in the occupied West Bank, leaving her hospitalized.
More On Israel's Genocide In Gaza
Cherry Mohamed
Kassy Cho
Sofia Hou
