Taybeh:Jerusalem Belgium's consul general in Jerusalem, Anick Van Calster, has denounced an attack on international diplomats in the occupied West Bank, labeling it a 'new escalation.' The incident involved masked assailants who assaulted a French mayor and damaged a vehicle.

According to Anadolu Agency, the delegation, which included diplomats from Belgium, France, and Poland, along with French Mayor Bernard Baudoux, the archbishop of Cambrai, and a local priest, was in Taybeh to support Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest. Their presence aimed to deter violence from settlers.

Van Calster recounted that the delegation was attempting to return to their vehicles upon learning that occupiers were nearby. Masked men arrived in buggies wielding wooden and metal sticks. While Van Calster's vehicle managed to escape, Baudoux, the mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries, was attacked before he could enter another vehicle. The attackers threw stones at the vehicle as it left, breaking its rear window.

She emphasized that such attacks on diplomats signify a significant escalation in violence and expressed concern that fear of attacks is hindering Palestinian farmers from accessing their land, jeopardizing their livelihoods.

VRT, referencing Israeli newspaper Haaretz, noted that despite repeated warnings, the Israeli military failed to respond, even though the attackers' location and video footage were provided. An investigation by the military stated that the contacted hotline was not for civilian use and that the visit should have been coordinated in advance. Van Calster refuted this, citing the Oslo Accords as not requiring such coordination for diplomats.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot announced that Belgium would advocate for EU sanctions against those responsible for the violence. The European Union also condemned the attacks and urged for accountability and preventative measures against further violence toward Palestinians and journalists.