Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said on Saturday that masked settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank had attacked Palestinians, Catholic representatives, and Western diplomats and officials.
Prevot said the Belgian consul general and French and Polish diplomats, as well as a French mayor, were among those attacked.
In a post on X, he condemned "in the strongest terms" the attack in which a Belgian vehicle was also damaged.
Israeli police said they have opened an investigation into the alleged assault of diplomats in the occupied West Bank.
In a separate statement, the Israeli military said the visit was not coordinated with it and there were no soldiers present.
🇵🇸 I condemn in the strongest terms the attack by masked settlers in Taybeh, in the occupied West Bank, against Palestinians, our Consul General, French and Polish diplomats as well as catholic representatives. A French mayor was assaulted and a Belgian vehicle damaged. Our team is safe. Palestinians face this violence every day. Settlers also target journalists reporting on it and diplomats. Harvesting olives, reporting the news or carrying out diplomatic duties should never put anyone at risk of attack. 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. Belgium will continue to press for EU sanctions against those responsible for this violence and those who support them. This violence cannot be separated from Israel's illegal settlement policy. Belgium condemns settlement expansion and attempts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land. The occupation of the Palestinian territory must end. @BelgiumMFA @BelgiumJRS
— Maxime PREVOT (@prevotmaxime) October 17, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office reacted to the incident by criticizing an alleged "smear" campaign against settlers.
"These reports come amid concerns about a coordinated campaign to smear Israel and the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria during the annual olive harvest, relying on sensational headlines before the full facts emerge," his office said in a statement, using the biblical name for the West Bank.
What do we know about the incident
According to witnesses, cars from the French, Belgian, and Polish embassies had brought diplomats to visit Taybeh, a predominantly Christian village in the occupied West Bank.
Settlers then descended on the area to prevent Palestinians from gathering olives.
Masked men reportedly surrounded a diplomatic vehicle with their off-road vehicles, then demanded identification and smashed a window.
A witness and two diplomats also told the AFP news agency that the settlers beat up Bernard Baudoux, the 78-year-old leftist mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries, a town in northern France.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called on Israeli authorities to arrest those responsible for attacking Baudoux.
"They must urgently put an end to these criminal acts of violence and ensure the safety of civilian populations, as they are obligated to do under international law," he added.
French mayor says attackers were 'completely enraged'
Badoux told AFP that he was fine, having suffered minor injuries. He also expressed concern about the residents in the area.
"The whole world needs to know what's happening there," Badoux said.
Badoux said he was visiting Taybeh with the French consul general in Jerusalem, along with a priest from his home parish, to sign a goodwill cooperation agreement with his city, which has an olive emblem.
The mayor, who was wearing a sash in the French tricolor, said that the settlers kicked him and beat him with iron bars, throwing him to the ground.
"It's the gratuitous nature of the violence that stuns me," he said. "They arrived completely enraged."
"It's absolutely incredible that settlers can behave like this," he said. "I think that if settlers are behaving like this, there is a tolerance on the part of the Israeli government."
Israel FM condemns 'rioters'
In a rare statement critical of settlers, which was released before Netanyahu's statement, Israel's foreign minister condemned the attack by Israeli "rioters" on the European diplomatic delegation in the West Bank.
"I strongly condemn the severe acts of violence by Israeli rioters in the area of Taybeh," said Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, who also faulted the diplomats for not coordinating with the Israeli military.
The West Bank has experienced an especially violent olive harvest season this year. Israeli settlers have tried to stop Palestinians from harvesting their crops by using physical force.
Washington Post journalist Heidi Levine was injured on Friday when she was attacked by a group of Israeli settlers while reporting in the occupied West Bank.
This violence is occurring during the final days of the election campaign. In hopes of gaining their support in the upcoming election, Netanyahu has championed the cause of the settlers.