West Bank: “Israeli” Settlers Assault Palestinian Photographer as Soldiers Look On

By Staff, Agencies

An armed group of “Israeli” settlers assaulted Palestinian AFP photographer Jaafar Ashtiyeh in the occupied West Bank, beating him with rifle butts and hospitalizing him as “Israeli” soldiers stood nearby.

Ashtiyeh, 58, was covering escalating settler attacks on Palestinian olive farmers near the northern village of Aqraba when the assault took place.

Despite being clearly identified as press, he was beaten while attempting to enter a vehicle marked “Press,” while the attackers also seized his camera equipment.

According to fellow AFP photographer John Wessels, around a dozen armed “Israeli” soldiers were roughly 500 metres away. Wessels said he could hear Ashtiyeh’s screams and was himself threatened at gunpoint.

The assault came after a gunman arrived on a quad bike and opened fire, reportedly striking a Palestinian in the foot. At least six others then approached the journalists while firing weapons.

Ashtiyeh suffered bruising to his head and torso and was taken to a hospital in Nablus, where X-rays found no broken bones. He was kept under observation, according to his son.

Meanwhile, the attack occurred amid a broader escalation in settler violence against Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest, a crucial source of income and a longstanding cultural symbol.

Witnesses and rights groups say settlers routinely attack farmers, damage or seize olive groves and’s global news director Phil Chetwynd condemned the assault and called for a full investigation, while the Foreign Press Association said face few legal consequences.

AFP has requested comment from the “Israeli” military. AFP’s global news director Phil Chetwynd condemned the assault and called for a full investigation, while the Foreign Press Association said the attack appeared intended to intimidate journalists and obstruct reporting from the West Bank.

According to the UN Human Rights Office, “Israel” was the world’s leading killer of journalists in 2025, with at least 225 journalists having lost their lives in Lebanon and Gaza.

Reporters Without Borders said “Israeli” authorities have detained 19 journalists in the West Bank, including an AFP contributor, since October 7, 2023.

The violence comes as settler attacks across the West Bank have intensified, including assaults, theft and vandalism targeting Palestinians.

Around 500,000 “Israeli” settlers live in the occupied West Bank alongside some three million Palestinians, with settlements considered illegal under international law.