WATCH Israeli settlers attack European diplomats in West Bank

Masked Israeli settlers have attacked a convoy carrying European diplomats in the occupied West Bank, prompting condemnation from France, Belgium and Poland.

The incident took place on Saturday near Taybeh, a predominantly Christian Palestinian village, when a group of settlers, some armed with baseball bats, arrived to prevent Palestinians from harvesting olives. The mob surrounded vehicles carrying the Belgian consul general, French and Polish diplomats, and representatives of the Catholic Church.

Bernard Baudoux, mayor of the northern French town of Aulnoye-Aymeries, said settlers kicked him and beat him with iron bars. Video from the scene shows a disheveled Baudoux sitting near a jeep while wearing a sash in the colors of the French tricolor.

“They arrived completely enraged. It’s absolutely incredible that settlers can behave like this,” the mayor said, as quoted by AFP and Le Monde. The windows of a Belgian diplomatic vehicle were also smashed.

“As the occupying power, Israeli authorities must protect Palestinians, ensure the safety of diplomats and journalists, and bring those responsible to justice. Impunity for violent settlers must end,” Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot wrote on X.

He urged Israel to halt settlement expansion and “attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land.”

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot urged Israeli authorities to arrest “those responsible for these outrageous acts and bring them to justice,” while Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Maciej Wewiór condemned attacks on diplomats as “absolutely unacceptable.”