Israeli Forces, Disguised as Settlers, Assault European Diplomats and French Mayor in Taybeh

Israeli Forces, Disguised as Settlers, Assault European Diplomats and French Mayor in Taybeh

By TheNATIONWEEK.com News Desk | October 18, 2026

TAYBEH, West Bank – A disturbing incident on Saturday in Taybeh, a Palestinian Christian town east of Ramallah, saw European diplomats from France, Belgium, and Poland, along with a French town mayor, brutally attacked by individuals identified by sources as Israeli military personnel disguised as armed settlers. The assault, occurring during an olive harvest visit, also targeted Palestinian farmers and resulted in damage to a Belgian consulate vehicle.

Reliable sources indicate the attackers, many masked to conceal their identities, are members of the Israeli military. These sources further allege this group operates under the influence of illegal drugs, enabling them to perpetrate heartless attacks against Palestinians, international media, and foreign diplomats who express sympathy for the Palestinian people. This pattern suggests a deliberate tactic of using armed settlers as a cover for state-sanctioned acts of terrorism against Palestinians.

The attack unfolded during an olive-harvesting activity coordinated with the Latin Patriarchate parish in Taybeh. According to on-site documentation by Holy Land Watcher, masked groups, arriving in four-wheel-drive and off-road vehicles, initiated the assaults around 1:15 p.m. in western Taybeh.

The assailants aggressively stopped civilian and diplomatic vehicles, demanding identification, obstructing movement, and pursuing individuals. Vehicles belonging to the French, Belgian, and Polish diplomatic missions were targeted, with a window of the Belgian consulate’s vehicle being smashed. Bernard Baudoux, Mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, was physically assaulted, kicked, and knocked to the ground while part of the French delegation.

The French delegation included Alexis Le Cour Grandmaison, France’s newly appointed Consul General in Jerusalem, on his inaugural field visit to Taybeh with his wife and consular staff; Anick Van Calster, Consul General of Belgium to the State of Palestine; Wiesław Kuceł, Representative of the Republic of Poland to Palestine; and Vincent Dollmann, Archbishop of Cambrai, alongside French pilgrims, supporters, Father Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest, and Taybeh Mayor Suleiman Khoury.

Attacks on Palestinian Farmers Precede Diplomatic Assault

The violence began with attacks on Palestinian farmers harvesting olives on their private agricultural land. A woman in her seventies and her son were reportedly kicked and verbally abused by masked individuals. A child was struck on the head with a wooden stick and required hospitalization. Victims reported being forcibly removed from their land, threatened, and having their harvested olives confiscated.

Father Bashar Fawadleh confirmed the attacks escalated from Palestinian farmers to the foreign delegations and diplomatic vehicles shortly before the olive harvest concluded. He emphasized that these were not isolated incidents.

Independent Confirmation and Delayed Israeli Response

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, via its website Ynet, independently corroborated key details of the incident. It published photographs and video depicting masked individuals with sticks and stones blocking diplomatic vehicles, demanding identification, and confirmed damage to the Belgian consular vehicle.

The Israeli military condemned the “serious incident of violence” and acknowledged attacks on diplomatic representatives by Israelis. While a preliminary inquiry stated no military forces were present at the precise location during the attack, Holy Land Watcher reported that Israeli police and military forces arrived over four hours after the attacks commenced, around 5:30 p.m.

Israeli police have initiated an investigation to gather evidence, witness statements, and identify suspects. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the “serious acts of violence committed by Israeli rioters” and vowed to bring the attackers to justice.

This incident follows an Israeli military order on July 23 designating Taybeh a closed military area for Israelis due to security concerns, including settler violence. Holy Land Watcher asserts that the documented attacks on October 17, particularly targeting European diplomats and foreign visitors, raise critical questions regarding the effectiveness of such measures in preventing settler violence and protecting Taybeh’s residents.

Holy Land Watcher has meticulously retained photographs, video recordings, witness accounts, and the names of witnesses and victims to document these attacks. Copies of relevant materials and statements are also held by the Latin Patriarchate parish in Taybeh.

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