Israel Palestine

An AFP photographer was taken to hospital after armed Israeli settlers allegedly assaulted him while he was covering reported settler violence against Palestinian olive farmers in the West Bank on Tuesday, according to witnesses, family members and fellow journalists.

Jaafar Ashtiyeh, 58, a Palestinian photographer who has worked for the international news agency for many years, sustained bruising to his head and torso. He was transported by ambulance to a hospital in Nablus, where he remained conscious, his son Zain Jaafar said.

Zain Jaafar said X-rays did not show any broken bones, but his father was to stay in hospital for continuous observation.

The incident unfolded on a hilltop where AFP journalists were reporting on the violence. A quadbike reportedly drove suddenly towards the journalists, and a man on it fired live rounds. According to the Palestine Red Crescent Society, one Palestinian fell to the ground and was later hospitalised with a gunshot wound to the foot.

At least six more people then approached the AFP team while firing weapons, according to Wessels, a colleague of Ashtiyeh. Ashtiyeh tried to get into a vehicle marked “Press”, but two men jumped on him and repeatedly struck him with rifle butts, Wessels said.

“I could hear his screams,” Wessels said, adding that he was threatened at gunpoint during the incident. He also said the attackers took Ashtiyeh's camera equipment.

Wessels said at least a dozen fully equipped Israeli soldiers were about 500 metres away when the violence occurred. He said the man who fired first wore a long white shirt along with military fatigue trousers and boots, clothing commonly worn by soldiers.

AFP said it had contacted the Israeli military for comment.

AFP and press group demand investigation

Phil Chetwynd, AFP’s global news director, condemned what he described as another serious attack on journalists reporting in the West Bank and called for a full investigation.

“We strongly condemn yet another serious attack on journalists trying to report on events in the West Bank and demand a full investigation. It is unacceptable that journalists can be beaten and robbed by armed settlers in front of Israeli security forces who made no attempt to intervene,” Chetwynd said.

The Foreign Press Association, which represents international media working in Israel and the Palestinian territories, said it was “deeply alarmed” by the reported assault.

“Israeli authorities must investigate why soldiers present in the area did not intervene in this attack against clearly identified journalists,” the association said.

It added: “This attack is a blatant attempt to intimidate the press and obstruct accurate reporting from the West Bank. International media have a responsibility to tell all sides of the story and will not be deterred by physical assaults or threats.”

Heightened violence and risks to journalists

The reported attack came amid months of heightened violence in the West Bank, where there have been near-daily cases of attacks, theft and vandalism by Israeli settlers targeting Palestinians. The source material also reports attacks against Israelis, including the shooting death of a settler by a Palestinian last month.

Extremist Israeli settlers have been taking control of olive groves owned by Palestinians. Palestinians regard olive trees as a cultural symbol.

About 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank, which Israel captured in 1967, alongside three million Palestinians. Settlements in occupied territory are illegal under international law.

Media rights groups say journalists have increasingly been targeted by Israeli settlers, while authorities have placed growing restrictions on news coverage. Reporters Without Borders, a Paris-based organisation, says Israeli authorities have detained 19 journalists in the West Bank, including an AFP contributor, in the three years since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Gaza-based Hamas.