Reuters journalists beaten by Israeli settlers in West Bank, taken to hospital
Most similar incidents go uninvestigated (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers, activists, and Reuters journalists during olive harvesting in the occupied West Bank. The incident occurred near the Palestinian village of Beita, Reuters reports.
The area, located south of the city of Nablus, has been a hotspot for settler attacks in recent years, with incidents increasing after the start of the Gaza war two years ago. This year, attacks intensified during the olive harvest, which began in October.
According to activist Jonathan Pollack, about 50 masked settlers were involved in the assault, brutally beating Reuters journalist Raneen Sawafta and anyone who tried to protect her.
Among those injured were Raneen Sawafta and her bodyguard, Grant Bowden, who sustained injuries from attackers throwing stones and striking with sticks and batons. Both media representatives were wearing helmets and protective vests marked Press, but Sawafta’s cameras were destroyed. They were hospitalized in Nablus for medical evaluation.
IDF comments on the incident
The Israeli army stated that soldiers were dispatched to the site following reports of the conflict; however, witnesses claim no military presence was there during the attack. The IDF press office added that it condemns all acts of violence and will continue to maintain security in the region.
According to the UN, Israeli settlers carried out at least 264 attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank in October — the highest number since 2006. Human rights groups note that most of these incidents go uninvestigated and perpetrators are rarely held accountable.
Recently, in Donbas, Russian forces killed French journalist and photographer Antoni Lallican. The tragedy occurred in early October near Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region, when a Russian FPV drone attack took his life.
Paris has launched an investigation into the incident as a war crime. French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the killing, stating that Lallican became a victim of a Russian drone attack.
