Ramallah:Palestine demanded urgent international action following an attack by Israeli occupiers on European diplomats and church representatives in the occupied West Bank. The incident, which took place near the town of Taybeh, east of Ramallah, involved confrontations with a delegation that included the French and Belgian consuls, a Polish representative, and Catholic Church officials.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry described the attack as evidence of "organized settler terrorism." The ministry reported that the attackers assaulted a French mayor and damaged a Belgian consular vehicle. It accused the Israeli government of protecting the assailants and fostering a climate of impunity, urging the international community to take steps to protect Palestinians and foreign representatives and hold those responsible accountable.
Footage released by Israeli media showed masked Israeli occupiers carrying sticks and stones, threatening the delegation's vehicles, and smashing a window of a Belgian consular car. Israeli army radio reported that seven masked individuals in off-road vehicles surrounded a diplomatic car and demanded identification before the attack. Despite being informed of the incident's location and receiving footage within minutes, Israeli troops and police reportedly took three hours to arrive.
The Israeli military condemned the attack as a "serious violent incident" but noted that the delegation had not coordinated its visit in advance, resulting in no troops being present at the scene. Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh described the attack as indicative of the daily violence faced by Palestinians and called for a firm international response.
The attack occurred during the olive harvest season, a time when assaults by Israeli occupiers have reportedly intensified. The Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported 40 attacks and violations against farmers, farmland, and olive crops on the same day.