Settlers assault journalists, farmers during olive harvest near Nablus

• 'Israeli' settlers attacked Palestinians, activists, and journalists near Beita, south of Nablus.
• Witnesses said around 50 masked settlers used sticks and rocks in the assault.
• Calls are growing for accountability as settler violence continues to surge in the West Bank.

'Israeli' settlers launched a violent assault on Saturday targeting a group of Palestinian villagers, activists, and journalists who had gathered to harvest olives near an illegal settler outpost close to the West Bank village of Beita, witnesses said.

Two Reuters employees, a journalist and a security adviser, were among those injured when dozens of settlers, armed with clubs and stones, descended from the nearby outpost and began attacking the group. The outpost sits on a hill south of Nablus, an area that has long been a flashpoint for settler violence, which has escalated sharply since the start of the Gaza genocide two years ago.

According to witnesses, around 30 villagers and activists, along with 10 journalists, were present when the attack began. Reuters photographer Raneen Sawafta was repeatedly beaten and stoned as she tried to shield herself, while her security adviser Grant Bowden was attacked as he attempted to protect her. Both were wearing press vests and helmets clearly marked “PRESS.”

'Israeli' rights activist Jonathan Pollak, who witnessed the incident, described it as “brutal,” saying the settlers “beat her up without mercy, continuing to stone her while she was on the ground and then continuing to attack everyone who was coming to her help.”

The attackers reportedly shouted in Hebrew, demanding that those present “go from there.” Sawafta’s camera was smashed during the attack, and both she and Bowden were taken by ambulance to a hospital in Nablus for treatment.

The Israel Occupation Forces (IOF) said soldiers had been sent to the scene following reports of a confrontation. However, witnesses said no soldiers were visible during the attack. The military later stated, “The IDF condemns any act of violence and will continue to operate to maintain security and order in the area,” adding that police would handle the investigation.