AFP journalists attacked by Israeli settlers in the West Bank

On Tuesday, a 58-year-old Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographer, Jaafar Ashtiyeh, was assaulted and injured by Israeli settlers while covering the annual olive harvest near the village of Aqraba in the northern West Bank. Ashtiyeh and his colleague, John Wessels, were documenting incidents of settler violence against Palestinians when a vehicle approached them at high speed. According to reports from the agency, an occupant of the vehicle opened fire in the direction of the journalists and nearby Palestinians.

During the altercation, the assailants beat Ashtiyeh, causing bruising to his head and torso, and confiscated his photographic equipment. A Palestinian man present at the scene was also struck by gunfire in the leg and required hospital treatment. Ashtiyeh was transported by ambulance to a medical facility for care. The area has seen heightened tensions as settlers have frequently targeted Palestinians engaged in the seasonal harvest, a situation that has prompted international concern regarding the safety of journalists documenting these events.