Israeli Settlers Assault AFP Photographer in the West Bank

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Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank assaulted a journalist from Agence France-Presse, beating him and firing at him and a colleague while they were covering the attacks by settlers that have escalated with the start of the olive harvest season on Tuesday.

Jaafar Ashtey, 58, a veteran photographer working for AFP in the Palestinian territories, suffered bruises to his head and torso and was transported by an ambulance from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society to a hospital in Nablus, according to eyewitnesses and members of his family and fellow journalists.

Ashtey and John Wessels, also a photographer for AFP, were near the town of Qusra in northern West Bank when they noticed an Israeli soldier detaining a man while Palestinians from the town were harvesting olives.

Suddenly, a quad bike rushed towards the AFP journalists up the hill, and one of the men on it fired live ammunition, while one of the Palestinians fell to the ground. The man was taken to the hospital after being shot in the foot, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

After that, at least six other people rushed towards the AFP journalists while firing shots. When Ashtey tried to get into the car, two men pounced on him and beat him with their weapons.

Wessels, who was also threatened with a weapon, said, "I could hear his screams."

Zain Jafar, Ashtey's son, explained that his father was conscious and under medical supervision at a hospital in Nablus, where he would undergo imaging tests.

According to Wessels, the assailants seized Ashtey's camera equipment.

Wessels noted that the man who initially fired shots was wearing a long white shirt, military pants, and boots, which are typically worn by soldiers.

The Israeli army did not immediately respond to a request from AFP for comment on the incident.

Phil Schitwind, the news director at AFP, said, "We strongly condemn this new dangerous assault on journalists trying to cover events in the West Bank and demand a thorough investigation. It is unacceptable for journalists to be assaulted and robbed by armed settlers in front of Israeli security forces who did not attempt to intervene."

Settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank has escalated in recent months.

Settlers are carrying out daily attacks on Palestinians, including physical assaults, land and crop theft, and vandalism of places of worship, homes, and facilities.

Attacks against Israelis have also been recorded, as a Palestinian shot and killed a settler near Ramallah last month.

Palestinians say that settlers have taken to harvesting olives from their fields and stealing them with the support of soldiers in the Israeli army.

Organizations concerned with journalists' rights say that settlers are increasingly targeting reporters, and that authorities have imposed growing restrictions on media coverage.

According to the organization "Reporters Without Borders," based in Paris, Israeli authorities detained 19 journalists in the West Bank during the three years following the attack on October 7, 2023, including a journalist collaborating with the French Press Agency.

Except for East Jerusalem, about three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, which has been occupied by Israel since 1967, in addition to more than 500,000 Israelis residing in illegal settlements under international law.