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Several people, including a journalist for Reuters, were injured after around 50 masked Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians gathered for an olive harvest in the occupied West Bank. The incident took place in the Beita area, south of Nablus city, a hotspot for violent attacks by settlers. The attacks have been rising since Israel launched a devastating war on Gaza in 2023. The Reuters news agency said two of its staffers, a journalist and a security adviser, were injured after being repeatedly beaten by Israeli men wielding clubs and sticks. The attack was captured on camera. Footage showed masked men beating Palestinians with sticks and clubs. The Israeli military said it sent soldiers to the scene after receiving reports of a “confrontation” during “an uncoordinated olive harvest in an area that requires coordination”. It added that police would conduct any further review of the incident. Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli rights activist who was at the scene, said about 50 masked settlers descended from a settler outpost on the hill and attacked everyone gathered for the harvest. He said that Reuters photographer Raneen Sawafta was attacked and the men “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”. They changed in Hebrew, saying, "Go from there." At least 30 Palestinian villagers, activists and about 10 journalists had gathered for the harvest. Ms Sawafta was accompanied by Reuters security adviser Grant Bowden who was also beaten as he tried to protect her. Her camera equipment was smashed. The two were wearing helmets and “Press” jackets when they were attacked, Reuters reported. Ms Sawafta’s helmet had a large dent and an ambulance took them both for medical checks and treatment. "We call upon Israeli authorities to investigate this incident and hold those responsible accountable," Reuters said, “and to ensure that journalists can work freely and without harm.” The Palestinian Authority’s health ministry said that among the injured was Oded Yedaya, an Israeli art school principal, who reportedly sustained a broken jaw and cheekbone. “His shirt was soaked in blood and his head was split open,” an activist who was at the scene told the Haaretz daily. A 19-year-old Palestinian Red Crescent volunteer was also injured after being hit in the head by an attacker. The olive-picking season in the Palestinian territories, which started in October, has seen a wave of attacks by settlers. The settlers sometimes come in a group with people from Israel and abroad, Jewish and otherwise. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said on Friday that they recorded 264 settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank last month. “Since 2006, OCHA has documented over 9,600 such attacks. About 1,500 of them took place just this year, roughly 15 percent of the total,” it said in a statement.
