Masked settlers attack European diplomats’ convoy in West Bank, French mayor kicked

Masked Israeli settlers attacked vehicles of French, Belgian and Polish diplomats visiting the olive harvest in Taybeh near Ramallah on Saturday and kicked a 78-year-old French mayor. Israel’s army and foreign minister condemned the attack.

Ally Daily Editorial DeskOctober 17, 2026, 08:01 PMUpdated: October 17, 2026, 08:11 PM

Masked settlers attack European diplomats’ convoy in West Bank, French mayor kicked

Masked Israeli settlers attacked a convoy of European diplomats on Saturday in Taybeh, a largely Christian Palestinian village near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, as the diplomats visited the olive harvest.

Vehicles from the French, Belgian and Polish missions were targeted. According to testimonies cited by Israel’s Army Radio, seven masked settlers on ATVs surrounded a diplomatic vehicle, demanded identification and smashed the window of a car belonging to the Belgian consulate.

French mayor kicked

Witnesses and diplomats told AFP the settlers kicked Bernard Baudoux, 78, the mayor of the northern French town of Aulnoye-Aymeries, after shouting at the group. Video showed him slumped against a car wearing a French tricolor sash; he was hurt but did not need hospital treatment.

French mayor Bernard Baudoux on the ground after the attack (video still)

The Israeli military said it “strongly condemns the severe act of violence,” but noted that the consulate’s visit “was not coordinated with the IDF,” and that no troops were at the scene. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also condemned “the severe acts of violence by Israeli rioters,” and police opened an investigation.

A violent harvest

The attack came a day after settlers seriously injured Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine, who underwent surgery on Saturday. Belgium’s foreign minister condemned the attack on the diplomats and vowed to press for sanctions. The violence comes in the final days of Israel’s election campaign.

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