Israeli attack targets European diplomats in occupied West Bank

Attack targets delegation during ceremony

Taybeh Mayor Suleiman Khourieh said Israeli occupiers targeted a delegation comprising French, Belgian and Polish diplomats on Saturday in the central occupied West Bank town, where officials had gathered for a twinning ceremony with the French municipality of Saint-Pierre.

The assault occurred in the western part of Taybeh as delegates attended the signing agreement with Saint-Pierre Mayor Christian Ravain, Khourieh told Anadolu. "This is a flagrant violation of the sanctity of diplomatic and humanitarian work," the mayor said, adding that the attack also targeted Palestinians harvesting olives nearby. Several town residents sustained injuries during the incident, and the window of a vehicle belonging to the Belgian delegation was shattered.

French mayor injured

Footage from the scene showed Bernard Boudot, mayor of Aulnoy-lez-Valenciennes in northern France, lying on the ground beside a diplomatic vehicle following the attack, according to Israeli Army Radio. The broadcaster cited witnesses and footage showing occupiers hurling stones at one of the diplomatic vehicles, smashing its window.

Israel's Channel 12 reported that the Israeli military said the incident was "under review" and that no arrests had been made immediately. Attacks by Israeli occupiers against Palestinians and their land have intensified during the olive harvest, which provides a key source of income for thousands of Palestinian families in the occupied territory.