European diplomats attacked by Israeli settlers in West Bank

On Saturday, a delegation of European diplomats consisting of representatives from Belgium, France, Poland and the Catholic Church were attacked by masked Israeli settlers in the West Bank village of Taybeh. The attack occurred just a day after another assault on Palestinians and Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine, which was condemned by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio as "disturbing" and "not a good look".

The Belgian government expressed strong condemnation, calling for Israel to bring the perpetrators to justice, while the Israel Defense Forces stated they were investigating the "severe act of violence". However, the Prime Minister's office suggested the incident might be part of a "campaign to smear Israel". The US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, deemed the attack a "despicable act of terror" and urged the assailants to face "prosecution to the fullest extent of the law".

The European diplomats were in Taybeh to assess the situation following numerous attacks on Palestinians attempting to harvest their olives. Footage from the scene showed masked settlers confronting the convoy, with reports indicating stones were thrown. The Belgian consulate's car had its window smashed and a French mayor was assaulted, with a man wearing a French tricolor sash seen lying beside a vehicle.