On October 17, 2026, in Taybeh, a Christian Palestinian village near Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, sven masked Israeli settlers armed with clubs attacked on European diplomats, activists, public figures and Palestinian harvesters.

The settlers surrounded vehicles, struck them with clubs, threatened to kill those present and demanded their identity documents.

The diplomats and public figures attacked:

• Anick Van Calster, Belgium’s consul general in Jerusalem.
• French and Polish diplomatic representatives.
• Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries, France, who was wounded.
• Catholic representatives were also reportedly present.

A window of a Belgian consular vehicle was smashed; activists reported damage to their vehicle, including a broken rear light.

Activists Amit Orfali and another activist arrived after Palestinians reported that settlers were stealing sacks of olives. Orfali said the diplomats helped protect them.

Bernard Baudoux, a French mayor among those attacked, described it in a Facebook post. “Three vehicles arrived. Several masked individuals, armed with metal bars, got out and came toward us with extreme aggressiveness,” he wrote. Baudoux said he put on his French tricolor sash. “That didn’t stop them. I was struck with metal bars and kicked before being thrown to the ground. We were finally able to get back to our vehicles.” He said he was fine. He and others had traveled to Taybeh to formalize a twinning agreement between the village and his community, and then participated in the residents’ olive harvest. Religious leaders in Taybeh also confirmed the attack.

Israeli official responses

The Israeli Police stated that they opened an investigation: forensic investigators were sent to collect evidence and witness statements.

The IDF Condemned the attacks but said the diplomatic visit had not been coordinated with the military. It stated that, according to its preliminary inquiry, no soldiers were present at the scene during the attack.

The foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, condemned the violence on X but also expressed regret that the visit had not been coordinated with the IDF.

International reactions

The Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot condemned the attack and demanded protection for Palestinians, diplomats and journalists, accountability for those responsible, and an end to impunity for violent settlers. He connected the violence to Israel’s settlement policy and reiterated Belgium’s support for EU sanctions against perpetrators and those supporting them.

France’s foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot stated on X that the French mayor was “violently assaulted by extremist settlers,” adding that Israeli authorities “must urgently put an end to this criminal violence and ensure the safety of civilians, as they are required to do under international law.”

Poland’s foreign ministry said in a statement that “We are deeply outraged by this incident,”