AFP photographer Injured in attacks by 'Israeli' settlers in occupied West Bank

An AFP photographer was injured on Friday during an attack by 'Israeli' settlers while covering the olive harvest in a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank.

“In my 30-year career, this is the first time I have faced violence of this kind,” said Jaafar Ashtiyeh, a Palestinian photographer based in Nablus. “If I hadn't managed to escape, they would have killed me.”

Dozens of Palestinians, including journalists, were also injured, and six others were arrested in attacks by 'Israeli' military forces across several villages around northern Nablus. Three vehicles were set ablaze, including one belonging to Ashtiyeh.

The Palestinian health ministry said medical teams at Rafidia Government Hospital and the Beita Emergency Centre treated 36 people, including two injured by live gunfire. The remaining injuries were caused by physical assaults and tear gas inhalation. The attacks occurred in Beita, Huwara, and Deir Sharaf, with injuries ranging from mild to moderate.

According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in the Jabal Qumas area of Beita, beating them and setting vehicles on fire. 'Israeli' army forces reportedly stormed the area, firing stun grenades and tear gas, causing several cases of suffocation.

Similar attacks were reported in Aqraba, Al-Lubban al-Sharqiya, and Amouriya south of Nablus, and in Deir Sharaf to the west. In the central West Bank, 'Israeli' forces arrested six Palestinians in Kafr Ni’ma, west of Ramallah, after settlers attacked them during the harvest.

Settler attacks typically rise during the olive harvest season, which runs from late September to mid-November, and often involve uprooting trees or burning groves.