Israeli Settlers Assault AFP Photographer in the West Bank

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

Jaafar Ashteyeh (58 years old), a veteran photographer working for AFP in the Palestinian territories, sustained injuries 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, family members, and fellow journalists.

Ashteyeh 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 Palestinian residents of the town were harvesting olives.

Suddenly, a quad bike rushed towards the AFP journalists up a 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 individuals rushed towards the AFP journalists while firing shots. When Ashteyeh attempted to get into the vehicle, two men pounced on him and began beating him with their weapons.

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

Zain Jafar, the son of Ishtiya, 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 Ishtiya's photography equipment.

Wessels pointed out that the man who initially fired 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.

The director of news at Agence France-Presse, Phil Schitwind, 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 that include 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 last month opened fire and killed a settler near Ramallah.

Palestinians say that settlers have picked olives from their fields and stolen them with the support of soldiers from the Israeli army.

Journalist rights organizations say that settlers are increasingly targeting reporters, and that authorities have imposed growing restrictions on media coverage.

According to the Paris-based organization "Reporters Without Borders," Israeli authorities detained 19 journalists in the West Bank during the three years following the October 7, 2023 attack, 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.