Ramallah:According to Anadolu Agency, a European diplomat, part of a delegation attacked by Israeli occupiers in the occupied West Bank, dismissed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's skepticism about the incident. The diplomat, quoted by Israeli public broadcaster KAN, insisted that the facts were clear, stating, "We were attacked."
The diplomat criticized Netanyahu's comments regarding the delegation's lack of coordination with the Israeli army, emphasizing that Israel holds security responsibility in Area B of the occupied West Bank. The diplomat also raised concerns about why diplomats and olive harvesters should be subjected to such attacks.
The remarks were made following a statement from Netanyahu's office, which urged caution over reports of masked Israelis attacking European diplomats near Ramallah. Netanyahu's office acknowledged the presence of video footage showing masked individuals confronting a diplomatic vehicle but argued that this did not provide a complete account of the events or individual culpability.
The Israeli army has announced a joint investigation with police into the incident, which took place near the town of Taybeh, east of Ramallah, during the olive harvest season. The delegation included the French and Belgian consuls, a Polish representative, and Catholic Church officials. During the confrontation, a Belgian consular vehicle had its window smashed.
Israeli army radio reported that troops and police arrived at the scene three hours after receiving the delegation's location and footage of the incident, which had been sent within minutes.
In a separate development, Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the opposition Yisrael Beiteinu party, criticized Netanyahu and his defense and national security ministers for their failure to prevent attacks by Israeli occupiers. Lieberman warned that such inaction was damaging Israel's international support. Attacks by Israeli occupiers against Palestinians and their property have reportedly increased during the current olive harvest season.